Dark Hearts
by Scorpion29
Summary: COMPLETE!The Spirit Detectives are sent on a mission to save another detective from a new enemy who has many others in his dark grip. But after they have saved their fellow detective one within the group cannot help but notice the attraction between them.
1. And so it begins

Hi, just wanted to tell you that this is my first real story on the web, please be gentle.

Chapter One

(Hiei)

Opening my eyes I stared at the sky above me my thoughts turning to the sister I had left behind on Ningenkai. I wish with all my heart to be able to tell her that I Hiei Jaganshi is her brother but that would only put her in danger. I am a rogue and a thief, if my enemies found out that she was my sister she would most likely be dead before I could blink. She is the only one I have left and I wouldn't put her in danger like that, even if lying to her causes her a little pain at least she would live. The only people who know Yukina is my sister are Yusuke, Kurama, Botan, and Koenma; I know that they could keep their mouths shut.

Here on Makai I try to forget them all but they are always invading my thoughts no matter what, maybe it was time to go back to tell Yukina my last lie and rid my conscious of guilt. That is if a person like me can feel guilt.

(Yukina)

Sitting next to Kuwabara I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned quickly but nothing was there.

"Something wrong Yukina?" Kuwabara asked drawing my attention back to him.

"No, I just thought I saw something, just my imagination no doubt," I smiled but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

"Aren't you excited about Christmas?" Keiko questioned.

"Oh yes, I've never celebrated Christmas before and it sounds like a lot of fun!" I exclaimed.

"I'll make sure it's the best Christmas you ever have," Kuwabara proclaimed.

"Really Kuwabara, and what cha gonna do, kiss her?" Yusuke demanded a smirk on his face. Blushing I glanced of into the forest and saw a pretty dove of the purest white perched on a nearby branch.

"Look at the dove Kazuma!" I pointed so he could see what I was looking at as I noticed that the branch above the bird had no snow on it like the other branches.

"Weird, what's a bird like that doing here in the middle of winter," he replied slinging his arm around my shoulders, smiling I snuggled closer letting myself relax.

"What time is it Keiko?" I asked

"Um, eleven," Keiko replied.

"Oh, no! I told Hikari I would meet her at the mall! I gotta go!" I cried jumping up.

(Reiko)

Sitting at the restaurant table I nervously glanced at my watch, they must have gotten her! I knew I should have never befriended her, if she died I would never be able to forgive myself. Too many people have died just because they knew me, I'd just have to stop seeing Yukina so they would think she meant nothing to me.

"Hikari!" Yukina called, looking up I saw her standing there, thank God she was ok. "I'm so sorry that I'm late but I was talking with Kazuma, Yusuke and Keiko, I completely lost track of time," she slipped into the chair across from me. "Hikari would you like to spend Christmas with me? Kuwabara, Yusuke, Botan, Genkai, Keiko, Kurama, Shizuru will be there; they really want to meet you. Please say yes." I desperately wanted to say yes and have a nice normal Christmas with Yukina and her friends but I couldn't put them in danger.

"Sorry, can't, I would love too but I'm traveling to my mother's and spending Christmas with her. I'm also going to be staying there until my sister has her baby in May," I lied smiling and shaking my head.

"Oh, do they know whether or not it's a girl or boy?" Yukina exclaimed filled with the bright enthusiasm of the innocent.

"They don't know but they want a little girl." I said shame washing down on me for lying so blatantly.

"Ok, well then would you like to help me shop?!" I felt someone watching us as I nodded my assent; instinctively I blocked them out with my Jagan eye hoping it wasn't them.

Walking home I was trying to decide where I was going to hide next and how to get a hold of my boss to tell him what I had found out. Though the fog of my thoughts I heard something behind me so I turned around to find nothing so I turned back around and walked right into a man.

"Oh sorry sir, I should have been watching where I was walking," I muttered.

"You're right, you should watch where you walk," a deep voice drawled. Snapping my head up I stared at the man, all my nightmares on the verge of coming true.

"No," I whispered.

"Oh, yes," he then blew a paralyzing powder into my face and I slumped to the ground the world spinning around me.

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I know it's extremely short but I'm trying here, bear with me!!!!

Thanks, R&R


	2. The Mission Starts

Hi, I must advise you that there is violence in this chapter.....it is a bit disturbing, other than that enjoy....

I don't own YYH this disclaimer icludes chapter one because I think I forgot to put it on...please forgive me.....now please enjoy....

Chapter Two

Four Months and Two Weeks later

(Shizuru)

"I just don't get it, why won't she call me back?" Yukina asked frustration and hurt evident in her voice after calling Hikari's home phone for the ninth time this week. "Her answering machine said she would be back a week ago, I'm worried."

"Maybe she decided to extend her vacation," I suggested. "Or maybe she hasn't found the chance to call you back yet."

"Can you drive me to her house? I need to see that she's all right " Yukina pleaded.

"Fine, I need to get some air anyways," I said grabbing my jacket and following her out the door.

"Oh thank you so much! Please let's hurry!" Yukina slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. Five minutes later we were standing in front of the house, Yukina went up to the door and rang the doorbell. For some odd reason it didn't ring so she knocked on the door a furrow appearing in between her eyebrows as she politely knocked on the door. When that didn't produce Hikari she tried the door handle twisting it surprised when it opened.

"Hikari?! Are you in there?" She then disappeared into the house me following behind thinking how much weirder could it possibly get? Yukina and I were breaking in a entering her best friend's house. The interior of the house wasn't that interesting, it was rather Spartan and impersonal, nothing to suggest who or what the occupant was.

"Oh, Shizuru!" Yukina gasped running up to me with a piece of paper. "Someone's kidnapped Hikari!"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded picking up the note she had in her hand and started reading it out loud. "To whomever reads this, we have Hikari. When you read this, another note will be sent to Spirit World," I stared at it. "Well whoever wrote this had no imagination, but besides that I would say Hikari's in some trouble."

"But what does Spirit World have to do with it?" Yukina wondered.

"Dunno, lets ask Botan if she knows anything," I proposed

"That sounds like a good idea," Yukina agreed fear for her friend burning bright in her eyes. Ten minutes later we were at my house in the living room watching Koenma pace across the screen.

"This is bad Yusuke, very bad, Reiko, who Yukina knows as Hikari, is kinda like you, she died and was brought back to life to be a Spirit detective. Her last mission was to uncover what this organization called the Race Cleansers had up their sleeves. She found out all right but was discovered in the process and was forced into hiding before she could inform us of what she had found. We think she learned how to turn dream apparitions into nightmare apparitions from the only man who knew right before he died. The usual way to change a dream apparition into a nightmare apparition is intense torture that warps their minds but the problem is if it's intense enough it may permanently damage them.

"Reiko _is_ a dream apparition and has but to wish things that she has dreamed into reality. When she was younger she dreamed she had a photographic memory and now she does. All you have to do is flash a document at her and she will remember it until the day she dies. The reason it is so important we get her back is because she has been through countless Spirit World documents and can remember them all. If they break her she could release information that could destroy all worlds. Kurama will be on this case with you and we're trying to find Hiei to join you but we're having no luck, it seems he's not on Makai! Oh this is horrible! Do your best Yusuke or we are all dead," Koenma finished, the video ended

"This is great! We have nowhere to start! How are we supposed to find her! If only Hiei was here, he could use his Jagan and we'd be home free!" Yusuke growled.

"Yeah, for once in my life I wish the shrimp was here," Kazuma agreed.

"Ask and you shall receive," a voice quipped, we all whipped around and saw Hiei standing in the corner arms crossed leaning against the wall.

"Hiei!" Three voices yelled.

(Reiko)

"What did he tell you!?" The man demanded his pitch black eyes drilling into mine as his fingers dug into the oozing cut on my arm.

"Bite me!" I snarled spitting at him. WHACK! My head snapped to the side into the stone wall I was being held up against and I could taste the blood that was pooling in my mouth from my aching teeth. Pain blossomed across my cheek as my tormentor raked his claw-like fingernails over my skin; poison burned in the cuts as I watched him drip it slowly onto the wound out of the corner of my eyes. He gripped my short hair and wrenched my head back to face him so my eyes met his as tainted blood trickled down my neck.

"My patience with you grows thin Reiko, now do you want to live or not?" He growled dragging me away from the wall and off the floor leaving me suspended in the air. His putrid breath assailed my nostrils causing me to gag.

"You can't kill me because I know something you don't," I sang wincing at how my voice cracked. His grip lightened and he lowered me so the tips of my toes brushed the floor.

"And what is that?" His voice turned sugar sweet.

"Your real name is Lucifer," I rushed before I was slammed up into the wall then dropped to the floor.

"Put her in the closet," Lucifer snapped as they dragged me away. _Oh dear God_, not the closet, the small dark hole in the wall that not even the brightest light could penetrate. The hellhole where true nightmares were born, the vermin infested slime filled purgatory. Panic welled in me as two sets of heavily callused male hands roughly clamped around my bloody and bruised arms hauling me up. The urge to scream was almost too much as sweat broke out over my scantily clothed body and I began to shake uncontrollably.

"Have fun Reiko," he really was the devil, only without the accessories. The guards chuckled evilly as they dragged me out of the room leaving layers of my skin on the cold stone floors. I struggled as much as I could; every time I so much as wiggled they placed one of their boot clad feet in me. In no time at all I heard the sound of bolts sliding back and I knew we had arrived, a door creak open and the last thing I saw before I was thrown into the hole was their ugly faces. There was a squish as I landed in the sludge-coated cavity, in a matter of seconds I was covered by a multitude of bugs and other things. Screaming loudly I swiped at myself trying to dislodge the vile things but nothing I did helped as they just kept coming.

"Somebody help me!!!!" I yelled hysteria swamping me as tears flooded my eyes and my chest seemed to constrict. Frantically I gripped the metal cuff-like device around my wrist and tried with all my might to rip it off my arm. The bracelets they had placed on my wrist were what prevented me from using my powers and destroying them all with the power that came with being a dream apparition. No longer fully in my right mind I tore at anything I could grab whether it was my own flesh, my restraints or my surroundings.

Eventually I sapped my energy supply and slumped to a heap in the middle of my prison sobbing my arms wrapped around my middle as my mind began to drag me into its own terror filled place. I lay there my eyes wide open as slime seeped into my clothes, bugs and the like scuttled and slithered over me and insanity scratched its way closer to the surface of my mind.

"Please...I beg you...help me..." I whispered knowing I wouldn't be able to withhold much longer; I wouldn't be able to survive.

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Sorry, I know I write really short chapters but I can't help it!!! It was three pages on my computer....that's my defense....please R&R I need support.....need sleep..... 


	3. On Their Way

Can you believe it? I've updated two days in a row!!! I can't....

Standard disclaimers apply.....here's your warning for this chapter....LOTS OF OCS!!!!!! Be aware!!!!

Chapter Three

(Yukina)

"How long have you been here?" Yusuke questioned.

"Long enough," Hiei replied as Kurama and Botan hurried in.

"Sorry I'm late, what have we missed?" Kurama asked while he silently took in what was happening around him.

"Nothing much," Kazuma shrugged. "Another Spirit Detective has been caught by a new bad guy and we have to go and get her, problem being we don't know where she is, that's why we got Hiei."

"Ahh," Kurama nodded his head sagely and we all turned to look at Hiei.

"What does she look like?" Hiei rolled his eyes, "Do you have a picture?"

"Yes, I have one of the both of us," I offered. "It's back in my room at Genkai's."

"Well then, let's get it," Yusuke said and we headed out the door.

ï»¼

Reaching Genkai's house I rushed to the door and quickly went inside to my room and rifled through my shoebox of pictures until I came up with the picture. It was the two of us at the mall wearing identical hats smiling for the camera. Hikar-Reiko was wearing loose jeans and a tank top with her light brown hair spilling over her shoulders mischief sparkling in her eyes. It was hard to believe she was a Spirit Detective, but the most unlikely people were usually who they were. Sighing I turned around and found the rest of the gang standing there waiting for the picture.

"Here it is," I handed it to Hiei who looked at it and removed the ward for his Jagan. After a few more moments of memorizing the picture he closed his eyes while opening his Jagan it began to glow, a few moments later he opened his eyes and replaced his headband.

"See anything?" Kuwabara demanded.

"No, they have her blocked," Hiei answered calmly.

"Update from Spirit World," a woman with blond hair that had black streaks through it strolled in her red eyes serious.

"Thank you," Yusuke grabbed it and raced downstairs (the rest of us close behind) to the living room and uncovered the T.V. before shoving the tape into the VCR and hitting play.

"Hello all," it was Koenma, he wasn't looking too much better but there was hope in his eyes. "The lady who delivered this tape is Orino, she is going to take you to a man named Chai, he'll lead you to where the Race Cleansers are. Your orders are to free the prisoners, gather their files and capture the leader. As little death as possible but if you must, kill." Turning to look at the woman I watched as she held out her hand there were cloth strips in it.

"The only ones that are to come with me are Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke, no others." She stated, "Chai wants to deal with as little people as possible, please if you are one of the people I mentioned raise your hand." They raised their hands and the cloth strips rose and floated over to them and wound around their heads covering their eyes the ends weaving into the fabric to become one with the rest.

"Now relax," Orino lifted her arms and closed her eyes. "Nana Orino, tiji okfi." They disappeared leaving us alone in Genkai's house.

"Hurry," I whispered.

(Kurama)

"Remove the shrouds," a male voice commanded and the cloth fell to the floor, I found myself facing a man slightly taller than me with black hair that was spikier than Hiei's that went in all directions.

"My name is Chai," his eyes were steel gray eyes with ruby flecks in them that seemed to glow. "We are going to a place called the Palace of the Doomed, only those who are strong may enter and leave, those who are not are never seen again. Many people have been captured and killed there, by the master of the castle," he paused a minute closing his eyes pain etched on his face before continuing. "One of the many in there is Reiko but there is also many others who need to be saved, we will not leave until all have been rescued."

"Where are we?" Yusuke demanded, a question I was wondering for I could not figure it out, it was not the Nigenkai or the Makai.

"Nakari, Lady Midori's home world," Orino answered from behind us her voice calm and unwavering.

"Who the hell is Midori?" Yusuke growled as I tried to remember why the name sounded so familiar to me.

"She is the wife of Taro the man behind the Demon underground in all worlds, even though he is known for all his illegal deeds no one dares touch him for fear of the Demons and Apparitions revolting." Orino informed us her tone strictly professional.

"When do we go? Who goes with us?" Kuwabara questioned joining the Q&A session.

"We leave as soon as the others arrive," Orino supplied fingering her silver sai that hung from her waist.

"Who are the others?" Kuwabara wouldn't give up.

"Oki, Dundrogo, Drake, and Sayo come for their sister," Orino flipped her hair over her shoulder and a cloth strip floated up and tied it up in a ponytail. "They shall be here soon."

"We're here let's go," a female voice said I looked and saw a purple haired girl with teal eyes, an other girl with orange hair that had red streaks with eyes that matched, a guy with white hair was there as well his eyes were tawny brown with red flecks like Chai's and the last man had black hair and red eyes that slowly faded to orange.

"Chai-" Orino turned to him.

"I heard," he interrupted.

"Let's go, time is wasting!" The purple haired girl snarled.

"First introductions," Orino went around and put names to faces.

"Alright, let's go!" The purple haired one, Sayo growled, "We've dawdled long enough!"

"You need to calm down Sayo," the white haired one, Dundrogo said placing his hand on her shoulder, his voice was low and musical.

"Sayo this as hard for you as it is for us," the orange haired girl, Oki tried to comfort her.

"Liar!" Sayo whirled on them, "You did not see it! The look on her face! The feeling of knowing you could do naught but watch as they took her from you!" Two tears slid down her cheeks before she swiped them away furiously and glared up at them, "Now let's go!"

"Yes, let us away," Chai raised his arms and darkness swirled ominously around us before converging down and enveloping us.

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Sorry again.....I know.....short.....I try....please review.....I desperatly need support!!!!!!!!! Thank you for reading.... now please review

--Scorp


	4. Setting them Free

Yay!!! I'm making cookies!!!! I'm really liking my new job selling glass because inbetween customers I can type, type, type!!!! Well I hope you like the chapter!! Oh, and by the way ShinjuJaganshi, she's been in there for four months and two weeks being tormented in many many different ways, later on when I feel like it I'll go into greater depth on how she was tortured but I don't feel like it at the moment.....so thank you for reviewing oh and by the way he's not the devil he just kind of looks like it....I know I haven't really characterized him.....hmmm...R&R!!!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Four

(Sayo)

When the darkness had faded we found ourselves in a pitch-black room where I could hear water dripping from some unknown source. Breathing in deeply I let the damp musky air fill my lungs in order to try and calm myself down, but it wasn't working. Fire raced through my veins and all I wanted to do more than anything in the world was to sever the head off the slime that had done this.

"Where are we Chai?" Someone asked in a hushed tone somewhere off to my right, it didn't sound like any of my siblings so that meant it must be one of those detectives.

"We are in the lowest dungeon of the Palace of the Doomed," Chai's voice rang out somewhere to my left full of confidence and self-assurance.

"Right now the only question is where to begin," another voice stated behind me and I identified them as my twin Drake.

"Who are you?" A strong female voice whispered, "What are you doing in my cell?"

"We are here to help you, can you tell me your name? I am Oki." I heard a rustle of cloth. I almost smiled at that, no matter what Oki had to be in charge, right there up front, she was the youngest one in our family but she was the mother figure. She was the bossiest person you would ever meet in you lifetime.

"My name is Nishi," she said and I noticed how cultured and polished her speech was. "Did my husband send you?"

"Who is your husband?" Oki's voice was soothing as abruptly the room lit up from a ball of fire in Hiei's hand, which threw an eerie glow over everything.

"My husband is Toru," Nishi replied. I took in her appearance of malnutrition and all around mistreatment, I felt sorry for the poor cretins who had done this to her for I was positive that her hubby would rip them limb from limb. Toru was right up there with his brother Taro as the meanest person in the universe to the people who harmed those he loved.

"Yes, he has been searching for you relentlessly with his brother," Oki assured her and I could see Taro leaning up against a doorjamb watching out for others while Toru beat the crap out of some poor unfortunate. "Have you seen a woman named Akiko?"

"The future teller?" Nishi shoved her dark green hair out of her pale violet eyes. "She's in the part of the palace with the people who are needed for information and magic, I can help you find her if you get off these bracelets," she held out her wrists and we saw the bright silver bracelets that were about five inches long. "It is these hunks of metal that stop me from destroying all in this building."

"Let me look," Dundrogo came up to her and gently grasped her wrists examining the bracelets with a careful eye. "Hmm, they're very much like the bracelets that are used in the slave trade...." He turned her arms so her hands were palm up and he ran a finger down the middle of the band. "Sayo, what kind of metal is this?" He looked up at me and I sighed and walked over taking one her wrists in my hands.

"It's a special type of the Makai platinum iron ore," I told him. "I use this type of metal to make chains and manacles or something I don't want to break, the melting temperature is extremely high."

"Right..." Dun closed his eyes and began to softly hum a snatch of some song unknown to me. Slowly the metal bindings began to glow brighter and brighter until they shattered all together leaving only a pile of dust on the ground.

"You stay away from my shop, I'm never letting you in again." I muttered eyeing the pile imaging all of my life's work ending up like that if I made my younger brother mad.

"Thank you," Nishi whirled around and walked up to the door rubbing her wrists and I could tell she had something on her mind. "Extinguish your light!" Hiei closed his hand taking away the only light source we had. "Frank I'm thirsty! I need water!" I heard Nishi whine loudly her voice grated on my nerves.

"Shut up you wench!" A masculine voice shouted back, the one I presumed to be Frank and then banged on the door.

"But I'm dying of thirst!!" She then began to kibitz about how much her head hurt and how she needed water before the door was whipped open to reveal a short stocky man. I couldn't make out his features because his back was to the light that was coming into the pitch-black room.

Quickly Nishi punched him square in the face snarling, "Kiss my ass! I told you that I'd kill you if I got the chance you sorry excuse for a living being." She then placed her hand over his mouth; over the years one hears many stories of people you think you'll never meet. There were plenty of stories about Nishi, about how before she married Toru and settled down she had been a notorious pirate using her wind powers to take her anywhere. She had been a ruthless killer who had murder any who got in her way or dared insult her and now the part of her that had been forgotten was coming back to life in front if our eyes. Frank's body began to spasm as if he was a marionette on strings being played with by a deranged child. A sinister smirk graced her lips as she watched him as his chest cavity collapsed inward and go limp but still she didn't stop and I watched in horror and respect as his body began the opposite process and began to expand outward before exploding splattering everything and body in range with blood, guts and gore.

"Idiot," she spat and moved down the hall with us following behind, I was wondering if it had been safe to let her out of that cell or out of those bands.

"We are to free all the prisoners," Yusuke informed said out of no where I believe just to let her know what we were there for as we made our way through the dim stone hall.

"I would have accepted no less," she stated halting in front of a thick wooden door that had no window or grate in it. "Here's your next person." She drew a deep breath and lifted up her right arm so her palm was facing the door and forcefully expelled the air from her lungs as she blew the door clear off its hinges. It flew inward and slammed against the wall opposite it in the cell smashing into millions of shards as she stepped forward into the room.

"Who is it?" Someone, a girl questioned fearfully from the corner of the cell, "Nishi! What's going on?" Stepping into the room with Dun to help get the bindings off I started when I realized who it was huddled in the corner. It was Leiko, a mutual friend of the family and Drake's fiancée.

"We are leaving, let's go," Nishi grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. "Hey you, hummer!" Dun smiled and went over to her with me as well, he took her manacled wrists into his hands and it dawned on me he hadn't figured out who she was.

"Yes?" He looked down at Leiko's wrists and nodded, as he took in the fact that it was the same metal as before placing his hands on the restraints and humming the same tune of that song. The metal shattered and Leiko still stood there staring at Dun her expression unreadable. For a minute I thought she might be in shock or something.

"Dun-dundrogo?" Her voice cracked, "How's Drake? Is he ok? Please tell me he's all right! They told me they wouldn't hurt him as long as I didn't struggle and I didn't!"

"Leiko?" Dun asked in disbelief.

"Drake, is he ok?" Leiko was scared you could see it in her deep purple eyes.

"Yes he's fine," I reassured her stepping forward into her line of vision and enveloping her into a hug.

"Drake! It's Leiko!" Dundrogo yelled turning around and instantly my twin strode in his sunset eyes zeroing in on Leiko who was hugging me tightly, with one last squeeze I let go and stepped back.

"Leiko?" He stepped in front of her.

"Oh God, Drake!" Leiko burst into tears and collapsed into Drake's arms, "You're ok! You're alive!" Her white hair shimmered in the muted light a stark contrast to Drake's obsidian colored hair. He kept smoothing down her hair, rubbing her back and just holding her close hardly believing he had finally found her.

"Shh, it's ok, it's going to be ok," Drake murmured trying to pacify both her and assure himself.

"Can you hurry up?" One of the men, Hiei I think demanded but I can't be sure because I couldn't see them, "We don't have much time."

"I'm ok," Leiko drew in a deep breath and stood up swiping the tears off of her face with the heels of her hands as she drew deep steadying breaths. "Let's go free the others." She gave him a tremulous smile and allowed him to lead her out of the room that had been her prison.

"There are no other prisoners on this level," Nishi informed us and led us to a set of stairs that led us up to the second level, which was much better looking than the other level. There were three guards instead of the one that had been on the other level, decent lighting, and it didn't smell half as bad as the last one.

"Don't move," Nishi said in a low undertone as she lifted her arms up her gaze focused on the three guards who were sitting at a table playing poker. There was a loud sucking noise that resembled that of a vacuum and the three guards clutched at their throats struggling to breath but finding themselves unable to they fell out of their chairs, dead.

"Come on," I ran up to the first door and looked through the grimy metal grating in there was a small girl curled up in the corner six light blue wings wrapped around her. Reaching out I grabbed the handle and conjured heat and flames melting the knob into nothing and opened it with my hip.

"Hello Miss, may I see your wrists?" Dun questioned softly approaching her slowly so as to stay within her comfort zone; she raised her head to reveal big green eyes and purple hair.

"Who are you?" Her voice was barely a whisper and it stirred pity deep with in my heart..

"My name's Dundrogo," he answered, she nodded and held out her wrists uncovering her irons and light pink skin that was marred by bruises.

"My name is Wainani," she shook her hair back, "Please help me."

"That's what I'm here to do," he began to hum so I quietly left.

We freed thirteen others, eleven females, and two males; they were all in the same condition and that fueled my anger all the more. After we had freed them all we went around and collected names, they were Destin, Kaga, Gypsy, Faye, Malaya-Nura, Solenne, Inoa, Tsigana, Quinn, Blake, Concetta, Rekha and Perfecta.

"In order for us to move more swiftly, we're going to send you to the Spirit World headquarters," Orino said smiling gently. "Please get together."

"May we stay?" The girl Wainani asked leaning on the man next to her, the one named Destin, Orino looked at Chai waiting for his approval or disapproval.

"Fine," Chai agreed motioning to Orino to send the others away, which she did and then we moved on.

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Did I mention I like to make up my own characters????? Well all but two of the new characters are mine....Drake and Dun are a friend of mines...she's letting me use them because you can't write the familt unit without those two.....Reiko's my fav....she was the first ever OC I made for this story.......

Scorp


	5. Setting More Free

Iam so sorry it took so long to upload!!! I was so busy! I went to Washington D.C. and then today is Thanksgiving so how pathetic am I? Well I would like to thank....Stonehenge(I'm glad you like my OC's, I was worried people wouldn't like them!!!)

Standard disclaimers apply...I only own my OCs, please don't make me list them

Chapter Five

(Leiko)

I was so relived to be with Drake and to know that he was okay; it eased my fears to have him right there with me his arm about my waist. His warmth radiated from his body into mine, sighing in contentment I placed both my hands over his and lightly traced designs on the back of his hand. On the way up to the next level we ran into some guards and the short flame haired man fried them with a ball of blue and black fire sniffing about how weak they were. When we reached the top of the stairs Wainani held her hand out in front of her mouth palm up and blew on it sending a glittery cloud over to the guards that enveloped them.

"They're asleep, you may kill them if you want, but if not they will sleep for three years." Wainani smiled. Shaking my head I disentangled myself from Drake and walked up to the first door and placed my hands over the lock closing my eyes letting my energy flowing over it then nudged it open with my toe and moved on to the next one.

"What did you do?" I looked and saw the black haired brown-eyed human male standing next to me.

"I'm aging the metal, watch," I walked over to the next door and held my hands out letting my energy flow out with him watching as the metal decayed and started to fall apart. "Now you push," I nudged the door and it creaked open. "Easy." Drake sauntered back over to me and drew me back into the safe circle of his arms bending down to blow air in my ear and watch me shiver.

"This is the last dungeon level," Nishi said to the man with black spiky hair that went in all directions.

"Where would Akiko be in the palace?" Sayo demanded of Nishi.

"She would be on the third floor," Nishi replied. "Is everyone out?"

"Yup," the ugly carrot top reported.

"Good, let's hear your names," Nishi looked at them.

"Myrna," she had blue eyes and long light brown/blond hair, her skin was light blue and she seemed very meek.

"Harmony," her voice was enchanting and her light green hair looked soft as did her spring green eyes.

"Dakarai," he had a deep voice with golden brown eyes and short dark blue hair and he reminded me of a dragon ready to attack with his huge muscles.

"Lada," her tone was one of deep sadness, which was affirmed by her sorrow filled blue eyes, and her blue hair fell into her face.

"Kona," she looked to be pure evil with six arms coming out of her back and two coming off her shoulders her short light brown hair got into her sky blue eyes as she grinned maliciously. Plus the horns coming out of the top of her head kinda tipped her off.

"Anchali," his compelling purple eyes were filled with wisdom and his straight black hair was cut short giving him an elfish appearance.

"Robyn," another girl her eyes were a rich pink and her hair was black.

"Flaminio," he had blue hair and black eyes, he was rather small but you could tell he could take care of himself.

"Firas," he grinned his reddish brown hair spiked straight up in no known order with eyes that started yellow at the pupil and faded into green

"Ara," her long green hair fell down past her shaking knees and her brown eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Ena," she was laying on the ground with waist length orange red hair with black eyes her light green skin glowed.

"Hara," she had dark blue hair that seemed to defy gravity as it spiked upwards and her light green eyes sparkled with an unknown pleasure. Her white arms ended in bird-like claws and her arms had purple wings growing out of them.

"Haru," her arms were the same as Hara's except her wings were a lighter purple, her eyes were the same shade of green and her hair was a light shade of magenta pink.

"Harpreet," her wings were green and her eyes were the same green as the other two, her hair was orange.

"Hari," he had white eyes with no pupils or irises, his black hair spiked out to one side and red and black wings sprouted from his back. It looked like a red mask covered the top half of his face but it was his skin, the rest of him was a deep tawny colored.

"Greenwood," his pointed ears jutted out from under his olive green hair and his red eyes glowed, looking down I noticed his hands were the same texture and color of a tree's bark.

"Déja," she had purplish blue hair and eyes with blue-green wings.

"Cedrick," he had rather long blond hair and golden brown eyes, underneath his eyes were some symbols in Nakari.

"Neo," he had blond hair and green eyes with no pupils.

"Okay Orino, send them to Koenma," the other spiky black haired man ordered to the girl with orange colored hair that had streaks of green shooting through it at random points.

"Of course," she nodded and turned to the newly released prisoners. "Please get together so that I may send you to Spirit World." They complied and she sent them away to Koenma in the same fashion as she had the others.

(Reiko)

"Now tell me, what do you know." Lucifer was back from washing up, his hair was perfectly manicured. I replied with nothing because I was sure if I opened my mouth I would spill out not only what he wanted but also everything I knew which would hurt more than just one person. Exhaustion beat at me making every part of me feel ten times heavier than they were in addition to the fact there was not a part of my body that had not been submitted to some form of torture.

"Oh, trying to play the mute card! Well it won't work!" He grabbed me by the hair and yanked me up so we were face to face, his breath was rancid it took all I had to not blow chunks.

"Ev'n if I knew somethin, wouldn't tell you," I slurred through my sleep-deprived haze and slowly my eyes began to close. "You'll nevah break me."

"Think again!" He jabbed a needle into my arm and I sleepily wondered what he was putting in my system now, it hardly mattered, most likely poison. Then as my fatigue began to recede I knew what he had given me and I began to silently curse him in the many languages I knew. I was a Dream Apparition and sleep was what revitalized me more than anything, it was what helped me through it all, gave me power and he was taking it away yet again. "Now, we'll start easy, what is your name?" A sort of depressed resentment began to build in me and I stared up at him dully, anger somewhere deep inside of me beginning to stir.

"I'm sorry but my lawyer told me-" I started sarcastically wanting to see what he would do. He brought his knee up firmly connected with my abdomen forcing the air from my body and cracking or breaking my already damaged ribs.

"Who is your mother?" He shook me by my hair and pain shot through my scalp.

"Go f-" I was sharply flung across the room and hit the wall with a loud thud before I could finish my sentence.

"Who is your father?" He loomed over me a scowl on his face twisting it into an even more grotesque mask of fury.

"Why don-" he grabbed me and I screamed in agony for the second part of the serum was taking effect. What it did was it heightened my sense of pain so much that anything that so much as brushed my skin caused unimaginable pain so when someone grabbed you it was a hundred times worse.

"That's right scream bitch!" He bellowed right into my face, "Beg for mercy!" He slammed me against the wall causing so much pain I nearly passed out, "Tell me what the old man said!!!" I was thrown onto the hard stone floor before he slammed one of his booted feet into my abdomen pinning me to the ground forcing a cry of excruciating agony past my lips. Nothing could compare to this nightmare I was going through, every time something new, something different.

"Since you still insist on being stupid and silent," he hauled me up and backhanded me his ring cutting deep into my cheek. "I guess I'll have to beat it out of you!"

"It didn't work last time, what makes you think it'll work this time!?" I growled my throat aching from the stress of holding back all my screams as I spat blood into his face.

"The fact that you're weakening," he grinned trailing a long sharp nail over my other cheek enjoying the pain that made me blanch and whimper. "It took a whole month and a half of inventive torture to get you to swear at me and even that was in a different language, but now you're speaking to me in English, you. are. weakening. Now….what…do…you…know?!" He dropped me to the floor and buried his foot into me as he leaned against the wall. Wheezing my lungs grabbed for air as I lay there in a bloody beaten mess wondering if it would ever end. He drew his foot back one last time and let it fly right at my head everything went black on impact.

ﻼ

Rolling over I moaned as my wounds both new and old made themselves known to me, opening my eyes I saw nothing but blackness and I knew where I was. Curling up into a ball I barely realized that I was no longer wearing anything, that they had stripped me of my clothes leaving me more vulnerable than ever. Leaning my head on my knees I steeled myself for yet another round of mental torture created by myself for when one is alone one cannot help but question oneself. Closing my eyes I tried to block out any and everything including myself.

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Review!!!! PLEASE!!!!! 


	6. The Final Are Free And Spirit World

Hi, long time no write, I know....heh.....I was laid low by a nasty case of pneumonia, still have a slight cough plus school and such....I hope you enjoy this chapter...more OCs....my fav thing....also thank you to all of those who reviewed.....Stonehenge(sorry about the whole vulgar villan I just pictured him this way...usually my evil masterminds are more sophisticated), The Evil Liar .....and if I forgot you feel free to yell at me in a review

Standard disclainers apply except for my OCs which you know who they are.....enjoy

Chapter Six

(Dundrogo)

"This is the last floor of prisoners, this is where he keeps the extremely important captives," Nishi told us after we had disposed of the guards and stood at the end of the row of cells, there were only six. Sayo instantly went down the line of doors peeking in through the metal grates to see was in them if it was our oldest sister or not. At the fifth door she looked into the cell and froze.

"Akiko! Oh God!!" She cried her voice cracking under the emotion as she blew open the door with a burst of her energy before running into the mini room. The rest of us followed her anxious to see Kiko and to check to make she was ok but when I got a look at the eldest of our clan I highly doubted she was ok. Sayo was kneeling next to her with her arms wrapped around her sobbing hard as she finally succumbed to the emotions swamping her. Akiko was just sitting there her knees turned inward with her feet pointing out in her human form her pale blond hair viciously chopped short her pale blue eyes staring sightlessly ahead. There were no visible markings to show of any physical abuse but it wouldn't take a nuclear physicist to figure out they had screwed around in her mind.

"Akiko, wake up! Oh please! Talk to me!" Sayo wailed hugging her even tighter, "What have they done to you? Drake, she won't say anything!!" She turned to her twin tears streaming down her face, "Make her speak to me!" Looking over at Drake I observed him open his mouth to say something but close it before anything came a vulnerable expression on his face as I believed he received Sayo's thoughts directly.

"Oki!!" Sayo turned to the rock in our family, the one who told us what to do and comforted us in times of need, "She's gonna be ok right?"

"Nothing's for sure…" Oki trailed off her own tears spilling down her cheeks, "But she's a fighter…"

"Dun…" she looked to me desperation in her eyes and I knew there was no way I could possibly end her suffering or really bring her comfort. Walking over to her I got down on the dirt floor with her and pulled her into my arms, she came willingly basically flinging herself at me. As she sobbed into the crook of my neck Oki, Leiko and Drake came over to give comfort and draw it from each other.

After a few minutes Sayo squeezed me tightly signaling me that she was ok for now before she drew out of my arms and roughly scrubbed at the wetness on her face. Drake gave her a tight hug along with Oki and Leiko before I carefully picked up our sister who through the whole thing had not moved at all. Quietly we returned to the outside of the cell to find the others congregated outside of the cells with the new released prisoners. There were four of them, one of them a woman with coppery red hair with baby blue eyes and was about medium height with two teenage girls with her who I assumed were her daughters. One of the girls was around seven feet tall with black hair that was streaked red and her eyes were a bright green and the other one had long white hair and piercing gold eyes, the rough shape she was in suggested that she had fought a lot. The last one was a girl with a deep rich pink and her eyes were a deep almost surreal blue that seemed to almost swimming with emotions.

"There are only five people, none of them are Reiko," this was Kurama he was supporting the white haired girl whose face resembled a thundercloud because I think she didn't like receiving help.

"Where is she?" Yusuke growled turning his attention to Nishi who was the one with all the answers.

"She must be in the closet," Nishi whispered for the first time a trace of fear in her voice.

"What's the closet?" Kuwabara asked her his interest piqued.

"The closet, a vermin infested hole of slime where _He_ controls what your dream once you close your eyes, it is always the worst things imaginable. Death, pain, betrayal anything that will push you closer to the edge." Nishi said quietly.

"Who knows where he is?" Chai snarled fury burning in his eyes mixed with pain.

"I do," Destin replied stepping up and finally saying something.

"I'll show one of you to the closet," Wainani offered stepping out from behind her brother.

"Well obviously we can't send Kuwbara he'd scare the crap out of her with his butt ugly face, I can't I gotta go pound ass so that leaves Kurama or Hiei." Yusuke turned to the other two.

"The choice is clear it has to be Kurama because the shrimp is too coldhearted to be able to help a damsel in distress!" Kuwabara put in his opinion.

"How about a game of Jenkin?" Yusuke suggested and I couldn't help but feel they were being ridiculous. Three games later it was decided that Hiei would be the one fetching Reiko from the closet with Wainani, he didn't look too pleased about it.

"Let's go," Hiei turned to Wainani and she nodded leading him away. I was then given the names of the other four, the red head was Takara and I had been right in assuming that the girls were her daughters, the black haired one was Wakana and the one leaning on Kurama was Yoko and the pink haired one was Miyuki.

"Let's send you all back to Spirit World," Orino smiled at the ragged ex-captives. Kurama helped Yoko lean her weight on to her sister and I stepped forward with Akiko in my arms. Sayo followed her hands clasped over Kiko's with Oki and Leiko right behind Nishi stepped forward as well.

"I'm staying," Drake told us and I nodded to tell him that it was ok.

"Slaughter that lowdown bed wetting mama's boy for me," Sayo ordered him.

"I will," he assured her turning to join the group that was heading off.

"Good luck!" I called after them.

"Everyone come to me, everyone near? Ok let's go," and with that she transported us out of the nightmare and to Spirit World. Koenma was pacing around his office as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.

"Ahh!" He jumped as we appeared and stared at us, "Where are my Spirit Detectives?"

"They are on their way to go deal with him," I told the head of Spirit World.

"Right, well, I'm a little nervous about what's happening!" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Koenma! We have just got the connection to the castle up and running!" A blue ogre yelled dashing in.

"Blue ogre, please see to it that these people are taken to where they want to be taken." Koenma informed him returning to his chair and began rifling through papers muttering about finding the remote.

"Where would you like to go?" The blue ogre turned his gaze to Nishi.

"I don't want to go anywhere until those people have returned," Nishi said. "But I would like you to summon my husband here, I'm sure you know him, his name is Toru…" he nodded showing he meant who she was talking about. "You may tell him that Nishi is waiting."

"You!" The ogre pointed to another person and motioned for him to do what she had asked for before turning to Leiko, "What would you like?"

"I would like to stay here until Drake comes back," she whispered hesitantly.

"What about you?" He looked at Sayo.

"Oki, Akiko, and I want to go to the infirmary, the Spirit World one since it is the best." Sayo told him her voice clear and confident as I gently lowered Akiko down and another man who escorted them out of the room picked her up.

"And you?" He queried Takara.

"I will wait here to make sure the fighters are safe," Takara spoke up. "But if you could please send for Taro the one in charge of the underground and take my daughters to the infirmary I would be forever grateful."

"Right, send for-" he began the order when…

"I am already here," I stared in the direction the voice had come from, there in the door stood a tall man with black hair that had golden brown streaks near the bottom. His golden brown eyes were piercing as he surveyed those in the room leaving no person un-scrutinized, "I came because my brothers wife was found, but who is it that also wants to see me?"

"Taro!" From behind him stepped a petite lady who had long dark brown hair with dark red streaks through it that tumbled unbound to her knees, "These poor people are tired! They have been in a place that is the closest thing to hell you'll ever experience without going there!" Her voice conveyed the anger and disappointment she was feeling before she hurried over to Nishi and embraced her. "Are you alright?"

"Where is my husband?" Nishi demanded.

"He sent us ahead while he went to go pick up your son," she released Nishi and then enfolded Leiko in her arms. "God bless you child, if there is anything you need, it will be provided, all you need to do is ask."

"Nishi!!" If I thought Taro was tall this man was a giant, he rushed in set down a little boy who was the spitting image of Nishi whom he grabbed up into his arms and spun her around.

"Toru!" Nishi cried out wrapping her arms around him letting her tears finally be shed as she burrowed closer to him.

"Mommy!!" The little boy yelled bringing their attention to him and Toru set down his wife and Nishi scooped up her son holding him tightly.

"Oh, Toshi, I missed you so much, I love you honey!" Nishi rained kisses down upon his head and face.

"I love you to Mommy, where were you? Daddy said you went on vacation, did you?" He blinked up at his mother his eyes full of questions.

"Yes I did and I'm sorry I couldn't take you and Daddy with me but it was a Mommy only trip." Nishi brushed his hair back and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"What is your name good sir?" I looked to see the woman who had reprimanded Taro standing in front of me.

"Dundrogo," I revealed, her violet eyes were shinning with compassion bringing out their emerald flecks.

"Thank you for helping these people." With that she hurried over to Takara and began talking to her nodding every now and then before wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Do you know who this lady is?" I asked Leiko who was standing next to me half dead on her feet.

"No clue but she has my complete and total respect." Leiko replied quietly.

"Koenma! Have you lost all of your manners!" The woman turned on the head honcho of Spirit World. "I thought your father would have taught you better! Get these people some chairs!"

"You heard her get them some chairs!" Koenma barked at his hapless servants.

"Taro! You are the Lord of the Demon Underground so you say and all you're doing is standing there with your thumb up your ass! A little help would be nice or are we considered below you?" She rounded on one of the most powerful lords in all the worlds, "First of all you can see what this kind lady wants with you, and then you can find some refreshments for them."

"No and of course," with a little smirk Taro headed over to Takara. "How may I help you good lady?"

"I'm tired Taro," she looked him right in the eye. "I'm tired of being strong, I'm tired of living alone and I tired of lying." She bowed her head and a huge gust of wind whipped around her concealing her and when it dissipated instead of the red haired blue-eyed woman stood a completely different one. Her hair was black with gold streaks through it and her eyes were that of a wolf's with all their cunning.

"Tora?" Taro's voice came out as a whisper before he grabbed her up in a hug, "Tora!!"

"Taro."

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Hee hee...the plot thickens

Thanks for reading and please review even if it's only to tell me that I mispelled something......please R&R


	7. Saving Reiko

Hey peeps! Waz up? I'm sorry for the delay but now I'm on vacation so lots of writing! YEA!(Hopefully)

Standard disclaimers apply except for my OC's

Chapter Seven

(Hiei)

Following the girl Wainani I stayed on guard ready for anything while I silently seethed for losing and having to go and fetch the girl, Reiko. Wainani moved quickly through the vast maze of dark halls surely showing that she knew what she was doing, I wondered how long she had stayed here. Abruptly she stopped and nodded we were here as she lifted her hand as if she was going to open the door but her hand was trembling with the effort to lift it to the door. Abruptly she dropped it and turned her head to the side away from the door and away from me.

"I can't do it, I can't even touch it," she informed me taking a step back. "It's a living hell in there, the memories are still too fresh, there's no way I can help you get her out. Just stepping in there will reverse everything my brother has done to help heal me." Stepping forward to take her place in front of the door I couldn't help but notice the pure evilness that just seemed to ooze from the place like puss from a festering wound. Squashing the natural urge to step away and just forget about it I grasped the handle and yanked it open and looked down into a slime covered pit. It was disgusting; there were bugs, snakes, and other insects mingling with the slime that was made of nothing pleasant most likely feces with sludge mixed in. In the middle of it all was the barely discernable shape of someone curled up in a ball covered in the sludge and vermin, it was hard to make her out very well in the gloom, there seemed to be a cloud of darkness surrounding her.

"Reiko?" I called softly trying to get her attention but not scare her to death.

"She can't hear you," Wainani divulged from her safe distance, and I graced her with a blank look. "After a few minutes wrapped up in your worst possible imaginings with slime seeping into your very pores are unknown creatures crawl all over you biting and stinging you, you think of nothing but getting out so you try and block out everything." Without warning I hopped into the pit and instantly realized my mistake for what it was.

_Screams of the dying surrounded me as I stood there dripping in blood the corpses of all those I held dear lying mangled and broken in front of me, I knew without a doubt that I had done this. Slowly and against my own will I began to examine their remains, the first I spotted was Kurama his guts ripped out and pooling around him his blood mixing with the rich soil. His hair was shorn, the severed red strands strewn around him with one of his arms ripped from the socket; the total gruesomeness of it was shocking. Next my gaze fell onto Yusuke who was impaled on a sharpened stake that went right through his heart; his face was battered to a point that it was almost unrecognizable. After him I spotted Yukina and what was left of my heart died right there. She was collapsed in a-_

In a flash of bright light it all disappeared and I was back in the hole staring at the figure curled up in the fetal position shaking so hard I could hear her teeth rattling around in her head. Swallowing hard I almost didn't want to move forward but I forced myself to approach the person; the sludge under my feet sucked at my shoe clad feet making walking rather difficult. When I was right over her I crouched down and placed a hand on her shoulder shaking her slightly to try and get a reaction from her, all I got was a low guttural moan. Brushing a highly poisonous snake off of her I scooped her up and quickly closed the distance between the exit, and myself leaping up and out of there the small bundle in my arms quivering. Wainani was paler than she had been before I had gone in and I instantly knew it had been her who had saved me from the awful nightmare I had been trapped in. With a motion of her hand she motioned me to follow her as she scurried off Reiko and I close behind, as I strode through the fortress I could feel the victim's heart beating ten times its normal rate. She was shaking like a leaf but not a sound passed her lips, every now and then I would peel a leech, slug, bug or snake off of her when it made its presence known. Wainani led us to a set of rooms that had only a bed as furniture in the first room and a bathtub, sink and toilet in the second one in.

I headed straight for the bathtub as Wainani informed me she was going to go and look for better clothes for Reiko and that I should start cleaning Reiko. Letting out a sigh I didn't bother to close the door because it didn't matter, no one was there to see anything and I highly doubted there was anything Wainani had never seen. Setting the childlike girl down into the empty tub I stared at her for a moment noting how she was shivering violently and hugging herself. Taking off my cloak I folded it and set it aside steeling myself for the task ahead, what I was going to see was most likely not going to be pleasant at all. Slowly I reached out and peeled her arms away from her abdomen observing how she didn't fight but flinched and a sob caught in her throat….like she was used to this. Taking hold of the bottom of her filthy shirt I yanked it off as gently as possible doing the same thing with her pants prior to sticking the plug in and turning on the hot water. Steam rose in clouds as the water began to submerge her huddled form starting to wash away the layers upon layers of scum, with an almost inaudible moan Reiko opened her eyes and I found myself staring into their tri colored depths.

"No! Leave-" she croaked trying to get up but was stopped by a body wracking cough that caused her whole body to spasm as she brought up blood. "Don't-who?"

"Hiei," I brushed hair out of her eyes before looking around, I found some soap nearby and began to wash the crud from her body hearing every scream she let loose down to my core. It was a total of six baths I had to run before she was completely clean and the sight that was revealed was horrifying, almost every inch of her skin was covered by either a cut, bruise or scrape. After that first time our eyes met she refused to look me in the eye opting to just lay there passive staring at the wall biting her lip as I tried to clean her quickly and painlessly but it seemed impossible. Every time I so much as brushed her she flinched in pain or gasped, when I came into contact with any of her injuries she let out a muffled scream. Pulling the drain for the last time I helped her up and lifted her out of the tub and wrapped a towel I had found around her before picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom. Her face was contorted with pain and a muscle twitched in her jaw as she fought to not yell. Wainani was waiting with the promised clothes and she slid the pair of pants and shirt onto her while I supported her slight frame.

"I'm going to bathe," Wainani padded into the bathroom while I laid Reiko on the bed. I was now able to see that her hair was actually a pure white not a deep rich brown like in the picture Yukina had given me to look at, it was short and plastered to her head due to it being wet. She had a delicate bone structure that only added to making her look more vulnerable, her lips were chapped and scabbed and her teeth were biting deep into it drawing beads of blood. Letting out a breath I closed my eyes for a minute to relax only to snap them open when Reiko lurched out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. She didn't make but a few steps for she hit the floor and vomited a mixture of blood, stomach fluid and some other chunky substance.

"S-s-s-orry," she whispered as I crouched next to her and helped her up to her feet and back to the bed, laying her down she instantly fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

"Is she going to be ok?" I looked and saw Wainani standing there her purple hair, soaking wet in a new set of clothes. I shrugged my shoulders and continued to watch Reiko slowly breathe in and out in her sleep.

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Yeah! Another chappie done! RR! PLEASE I BEG OF YOU! REVIEW!

Scorp


	8. Getting to Zinan

Sorry, I was so psyched to be updating I forgot to thank all of my wonderful reviewers...you are the best...here they are so far...Inu's Girl08, The Evil Liar (sorry about the long pause in between updates between chapter five and six) and crazedcandie (I will try to keep up the good work and I am glad to be on vacation too)

**BTW: When stuff is written like this: _fjeiowfjiewo_ it means it is peeps talking mind to mind**

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Eight

(Kuwabara)

"There will be three things you must beat," he informed us as he led us through the castle quickly. "I can get you past one of the three with the sleep dust my sister gave me, one we must fight, but the last is not something you fight with steel but with wit."

"So what's the first thing?" I demanded looking at the guy as he continued walking at a fast clip his eyes trained straight ahead.

"The first challenge is right around the corner, what it is is to defeat five dragons." He stopped at a door, "These beasts are mechanical, they feel nothing and care for nothing, the only way to defeat them is to destroy them, I would prepare yourselves." Destin shoved open the door to reveal the five dragons, they were huge; they were all identical except for their color, there was a black one, a blue one, a red one, a purple one and a pink one.

"I got the black one!" Yusuke called.

"I'll handle the pink," Orino pulled out a string.

"Blue is mine," Chai staked his claim.

"Kuwabara and I will have the red," Kurama announced, "Rose whip!"

"Guess you and I get the purple horror," Drake shrugged speaking to Destin. With that I summoned my Spirit Sword and rushed the large red dragon while I heard Yusuke yell out "Spirit Gun!" Kurama cracked his whip and observed the dragon's actions as I began hacking at the hunk of metal's leg.

"Kuwabara!" I looked at Kurama.

"Try and drive your sword through its head!" He shouted before wrapping his whip about the thing's leg and yanked, completely severing it from the body, which caused it to become unbalanced and topple. Jumping up I drove my sword through its head to be rewarded with a shower of sparks and a dead enemy. Peering through the smoke I watched Orino manipulate the string into one of the pink dragon's ears manipulating it so a few seconds later it collapsed at her feet. Chai threw his arms out and in between them a huge ball of black light formed and he released it towards his opponent totally disintegrating it with one blow. Yusuke was sitting on the remains of his while Drake froze his and Destin's in place allowing Destin to blow the suckers head off.

"That was easy!" Yusuke complained, "Please, give us a challenge!"

"The next one will be no problem because I can use the sleep powder on it, unlike these things the next challenge is not a machine." Destin brushed at his disgusting clothes a grim look on his face, "Follow me."

"You did well Kuwabara," Kurama informed me with a small smile.

"Thanks," I retained the energy from my sword as Kurama turned his whip back to a seed that went into his hair.

"Man, this guy has awful decorating taste," Yusuke criticized. "Someone should shoot his interior decorator!" I glanced around the hall and had to agree, there were grotesque looking statues all over the place, along with paintings that portrayed every type of torture and pain imaginable. The carpet on the floor was stained with what looked like blood but I wasn't too sure due to the poor lighting and there were bones all over the place. About every twenty feet there was a lit torch on the wall casting an eerie glow, this place defiantly gave me the heebie jeebies.

"Please stand back," Destin uttered as we reached a huge wooden door with ugly little creatures carved in it. "I must go first so I can put them to sleep do not come one step closer." With that he wrenched the door open, poured some powder onto his hand and blew it forward into the chamber beyond, the sound of bodies hitting the ground was distinct. Destin dumped more powder into his hand and blew it all away from himself again and I listened to more bodies hit the ground.

"Quickly!" Destin sent a blast of spirit energy in through the door and dashed into the room us following, there were unconscious bodies littering the floor. The things on the floor weren't human, demon or apparition; they were a gross mix of body parts from many different animals and beasts fused to make a mismatched being.

"What were those things?" I demanded once we were on the other side backs pressed against the door breathing hard.

"Those are nightmare beasts," Destin informed me. "The bastard upstairs made these up from his own 'dreams.'"

"Those things are awful!" I exclaimed.

"They are an inner reflection of himself," Kurama said softly. "That is what his soul looks like."

"Eww!" I wrinkled my nose.

"Come on, to the last obstacle." Destin began to walk again.

(Drake)

As we walked I calmed my mind to find the special bond my twin sister and I shared that would allow me to speak to her and find out what was going on.

_Sayo?_ I called out through the mental link, _Sayo, what is going on?_

_Drake?_ Her inner voice was small and quiet, _Is something wrong?_

_No._ I replied, _I wanted to know how Akiko was._

_She's stable but she isn't talking, it's like she's lost, no one can reach her._ I listened to her and I knew that even though inside she was close to emotional collapse, on the outside she was calm and composed taking care of Oki and the others.

_How is Leiko?_ I was worried about her.

_I'm not with her, she opted to stay with Dun in Koenma's office to wait for you, and we're in the infirmary._ Sayo conveyed showing me what she was seeing, Akiko laying on a bed, Oki holding her hand with the girl called Miyuki in the next bed, _I've sent for Dai so he can comfort Oki, I'm not very good at that._

_I have to go._ I said, _We have only one more challenge before we get to see the asshole himself._

_May I stay with you?_ Sayo was desperate, she wasn't good with talking to anyone, _I want to watch that guy get it and good._

_Alright, but don't do anything stupid._ I came back just as we reached another thick door and Destin shoved it open to reveal a hallway that was blocked by one of the inner reflections. It had a huge axe and didn't seem like it would be moving anytime soon.

"I am your final barrier, if you can answer my five riddles I will allow you to pass, if not I will kill you," it informed us, its voice was dark and gravelly

"Ok, let's hear your riddles," Kurama tilted his head to the side as he waited for the thing to speak.

"I eat and eat but when I drink I die, what am I?" The statue gave its first riddle, I knew this one, there was no way I couldn't my twin and I were of the essence of it.

"The answer is fire," I confidently spoke up.

"Correct, the next one is:

I never was, am always to be,

No one ever saw me, nor ever will.

And yet I am the confidence of all,

To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball." I thought hard, trying to puzzle it out but riddles were not my forte.

"Tomorrow is what it is," Kurama called out his green eyes knowing.

"Correct, number three:

All about, but cannot be seen,

Can be captured, cannot be held,

No throat, but can be heard." It sounded familiar, Dundrogo had gone through a period when all he would speak in was riddles, it had stopped abruptly when he discovered we couldn't solve riddles to save our lives. I had learned a few but not too many, now I was pondering this one.

"Wind," Yusuke said confidently. "It's got to be, sounds just like Jin don't you think?"

"Correct, now the fourth:

At the sound of me, men may dream

Or stamp their feet

At the sound of me, women may laugh

Or sometimes weep." I knew I should know this one; it was one Dun had repeated often, always in vain though. I heard Sayo muttering about how it was right on the tip of her fricking tongue!

"Music," Orino stated. "My cousin was a music freak."

"Correct, and last but not least:

With thieves I consort,

With the vilest in sort,

I'm quite at ease in depravity;

Yet all divines use me,

And savants can't lose me,

For I am the center of gravity."

We all stared at it, I was stumped, again, this one did not sound familiar and just seemed like pure nonsense to me, if I could solve one riddle it was pure luck. Sayo on the other hand was whispering in my mind again.

'_For I am the center of gravity'_ she murmured, _G-R-A-V-I-T-Y_ she spelled out and the letters appeared in my minds eye, _Seven letters, g-r-a-V-i-t-y. It's the letter v! Because v is in thieves, vilest, depravity, divines, savants and it's in the middle of gravity! It's v! Say it Drake! Say it! _

"Um…it's v!" I blurted and everyone looked at me.

"You are correct, now you may journey onward to my master," the beast stepped aside.

"Give me your axe," Destin held out his hand.

"Wha-no! It's mine!" The thing croaked in outrage.

"Give it here or I'll kill you for it," Destin wiggled his fingers and the thing reluctantly handed over his axe grumbling about uppity demons and apparitions.

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Thank you and please review! I live for reviews! I need them! Plus you should feel sorry for me, I had to go the orthodontist today and he tightened my braces! The horror! RR 


	9. The Fight for Orino

Look at me! Who is the best? I AM! I'm updating yet again...twice in one day on the same story! I should get TONS and TONS of reviews because I didn't force you all to wait until I got reviews...I'm telling you...these review things...they are almost extinct! I want lots of reviews...even if it is to tell me that my little rants in the beginning are stupid...I WANT REVIEWS!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Nine

(Orino)

"This must be his room," I was surprised at how easy it had been, too easy, something was wrong.

"Yes, most defiantly," Destin growled. "I'd know his scent anywhere,"

"Before we go in I have one question," the boy Yusuke said. "Who the hell is this guy? Why did he want you people?"

"He's collected some of us because of what we know, some for his pleasure and some to ransom off for money." Destin answered. "I was for my magic and my sister for his pleasure but he never got to her, the white haired one distracted him way too much."

"Reiko, you must mean Reiko," Kurama said.

"Might be, she always spent more time in the hellhole and in his chambers than in her cell."

"His name is Zinan," I muttered. "He is pure scum, simple as that," I kept my voice tightly controlled. "He wants to know how to make nightmare apparitions so he can overrun all worlds, he will have succeeded if Reiko has cracked."

"Ok, let's kick some butt!" Yusuke strode over to the door and tried the handle; it was locked so he kicked it open. There standing by the window was a tall black haired, black skinned man in robes of black, it was hard to tell where the man ended and the shadows began.

"Took you all a long time to enter, scared are you?" He turned, his eyes were as black as death and as cold as hell was hot as they bore into mine causing fear to creep and crawl over my skin, "It's too bad you entered because now you will all die and poor Reiko will justly punished for bringing this inconvenience upon me."

"You will die a long slow tortuous death at my hands scum," Chai said in a low confident voice as he took a step forward.

"Not yet dear Chai," Zinan gave a low soul killing laugh that chilled me to the bone; he never took his eyes from mine. "Your little friends need to bring me to their leader so he can interrogate me, to no avail I might add."

"I'm talking about afterward, you will pay for what you did to my sister. For every tear shed, for every drop of blood spilled. You will scream for every time she screamed and beg for mercy as I extract my revenge upon you." I heard Chai snarl. Yet still Zinan's eyes never left mine and I felt darkness and shadows slink into my mind paralyzing me where I stood entranced by his horrible all seeing eyes. Nothing could break the spell he was winding around me silencing my voice and stilling my limbs.

"Nothing would please me more to kill you myself but I do prefer a bit of fun myself," Zinan snapped his fingers and I felt darkness envelope me as I lost control of my body.

As though in a trance I drew my two sai and turned on my friend.

(Akiko)

_So many voices. All talking to me. Who to listen to? What's going on? Where am I? Sayo?_

"Shit." _That was defiantly Sayo but where was she?_

"What's wrong? Sayo? What's wrong?" _Was that Oki? Sounded like her._

"The bastard has taken over Orino! He's making Chai fight her!" _Chai? Orino? Bastard? Who are these people? Nothing makes sense. Chai. Familiar. Whispers. They whispered about Chai. In hell, they spoke of him. Said he would come. Would save us. Chai. Darkness. Shadows. Akiko. Light. _

"There's no way Chai will hurt Orino! Crap!" _What happens if Sayo is right? Will he get me again?_

"Chai." I whispered.

"Akiko?" Three voices shout. _Chai needs help. Must help him. Chai._ Drawing my energy to me I began to make light. _Lots of light, to defeat darkness you need light. Chai needed light. _

"What's going on?" Someone new demanded.

"Chai." I muttered.

"Who is Chai?" They questioned. _Here I come Chai. Draw in breath. Concentrate on Chai. Find him. Darkness. Back to hell. Chai. _

(Chai)

Blocking one of Orino's attacks I tried to figure out a way to get Zinan out of her without having to hurt her. It seemed impossible! With half a thought I formed a sword of darkness, it was similar to Kuwabara's sword but black. Orino's red eyes were empty and flat as she contemplated me for a moment as if she was trying to figure out what to do next. The others were trying to get at Zinan but whenever they tried Orino would stop them with a blast of black energy

_Chai._ Startled I barely dodged Orino's lunge, what was going on? Who was I hearing? It didn't sound like anyone I knew._ Light, you need light._

_Who are you? _I furiously thought to whomever was in my head fighting my friend at the same time.

'_Kiko. To kill darkness use light. I have light. _The voice was female; it was quiet and rather child like. An image appeared in my mind the man named Dundrogo carrying the unconscious blond haired girl, another victim of Zinan's a fresh wave of anger hit me.

_Where are you? _I clashed again with Orino trying to force her to the ground by using my weight and greater strength but it wasn't working.

_Not in hell. Let me help. Take light._ She began filling my mind with light.

_NO!_ I shouted, she instantly stopped and the light retreated.

_I am DARKNESS! I can't handle light. It hurts. _I growled at her.

_Promise. No pain. Light good. Save Orino. No pain for you. Pain for evil._ She seemed so sure of what she was saying that I was tempted to accept her offer. Pausing I stared at Orino who was assessing me with her soulless eyes before charging me again. Zinan laughed and I felt my blood freeze.

_Are you positive? _I blocked and ducked out of the way.

_No pain. Sure. Kill darkness in friend. Leave her safe. Pain for evil. _She reassured me. _Yes? No?_

_Yes. Let's do this. _I felt a pain in my arm and snapped to attention to see Orino leaping back blood on her sai.

_Light. _It flooded into my mind like a dam breaking it slid into my body. I could feel it in every pore of my body in every fiber of my being. _No pain. Light good. Take light. _Closing my eyes an image of a girl with fiery red hair appeared in my minds eye her bright green eyes sparkling while she held out to me a sword of light. _Strike friend. No pain. Will save her. Keep her safe._ With a deep breath I grabbed it and opened my eyes to see my darkness sword flare and become one of light. _NOW!_

"For Orino!" I yelled rushing her as I felt the light that filled me let it self be known flashing out to surround me as I drove the sword into my faithful follower and friend.

(Oki)

"NOW!" Akiko cried just before there was a burst of light, shading my eyes and squinting I saw my sister floating off her bed surrounded by light her body arched as her hair turned fiery red. She had turned into her demon form, but why?

"AKIKO!" I leapt from my chair only to be stopped by Dai.

"Don't touch her! You may do more damage than you think!" He held me close as I stared at my eldest sister fearing for her.

(Yusuke)

"For Orino!" Chai shouted as his dark weapon turned to light and he charged Orino; light exploded from his body making it almost impossible to see. A blood-curdling scream split the air just before the light dimmed down to a bearable level and I could see Zinan on the ground his head cradled in hands. Orino was in Chai's arms her streaked blond hair had fallen out of its hair tie and was all over the place.

"Rose Whip!" Kurama yelled striking out at Zinan while he was down and weak but surprisingly he got out of the way. Destin charged with his axe raised along with Kuwabara and his Spirit Sword, Drake with fireballs, me with a Spirit gun, Kurama with his whip again and Chai with his light energy sword. He dodged every single attack and fired dark energy back at us with lips twisted in pain.

"Nothing seems to be fazing him!" Kurama huffed next to me after another failed attempt.

"If only Orino was able to help, we'd be home free." Chai added eyes glued to Zinan waiting for another chance to go in for the kill.

"Kurama, see if you can do something to bring Orino around, we defiantly could use her help." I muttered to him hoping the black skinned freak of nature wouldn't hear.

"Alright." Kurama hurried over to where Orino was propped up against the wall.

"Chai, can you transform your sword into a bow or something? Then we can go at him from long distance." I suggested.

"I don't know, I'll try." He closed his eyes and slowly the sword morphed into a bow about seven feet tall, as he pulled the string back an arrow appeared on it.

"Good," I turned to Kuwabara, "We will distract the bum with Destin and Drake to try and give Chai a good chance at hitting him."

"Good idea." Kuwabara reformed his sword and we went at it again. Abruptly there was a flash of light and an arrow buried itself into his chest, for a breathless moment we just stared hoping against hope he would just die. With a horrible cackle he ripped the arrow from his chest and we watched it disappear with most of our optimism.

"We're doomed." Chai stated from behind us.

"I agree," Destin nodded his head sagely as if coming up with the answer to a hard question.

"Shit," was my opinion.

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Ohhhh...naughty word Yusuke...oh well...so what you you think? Who is the best? RR(I should probably put this in the beginning shouldn't I?) 


	10. Reiko to the Rescue

And yet again I am back, you all better _reeeaaaaallly_ nice to me because I am not getting tons and tons of reviews...here is to the _only_ two lovely people who reviewed me! Autumn and Crazedcandie a _HUGE_ hug for both of them...here are the answers to your questions:

1)All the people were in the prison because a)they knew something he wanted to know (like Reiko) b) they would provide a type of entertainment (Reiko and Wainani) or c) he was going to ransom them off for money (Nishi)

2)My favorite Yu-Yu Hakesho character is most definatly...HIEI! I liked him the first time I saw him when he came on asa "bad" guy and let me tell you he is the NUMBER ONE most popular character in Japan, he recieved 18, 162 votes, in second was Yusuke with 17, 858 votes. Read my profile and you'll see how much I like him...

3) Yukina will come into play later on in the story...can't say anything more...

4)Akiko is in the infirmary at Spirit World she was talking to Chai using telepathy and Reiko was in the castle in "The Pit"

Thank you two yet again...I dedicate this chapter to you!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Ten

(Wainani)

The man, Hiei, was standing at the window staring outside while I sat here next to the poor tortured girl, I now realized how lucky I truly was. Even in sleep she was tormented, her face was screwed up in pain and her body was as ridged as a board, every now and then she shook with a short spasm. All of her that was visible was covered in cuts and bruises, it was an amazing feat that she still lived, it must have taken a great amount of will to survive. Around both of her wrists there was a three to four inch long metal cuff thing that had hundreds of little symbols inscribed in the surface, just like the ones I had worn. Her white hair was shorn to a boyishly short length and it was plastered to her sweat soaked forehead.

"JUUSAGIT!" Reiko screamed jackknifing into a sitting position her hands gripping the blankets around her as she drew air into her lungs in short gasps, "Slivdaf hurshcib wridel!" She was shaking hard her eyes darting all around as she took in her surroundings.

"Shhh!" I hushed soothingly, "It's ok, calm down." Her eyes were wide and I couldn't help but be amazed by their color, her left eye was a metallic copper and her right was a deep violet that had emerald green flecks in it. "My name is Wainani."

"Where is he?" Reiko demanded her voice might have been beautiful before she came here but now it was coarse and rasped like sandpaper and it had a curious accent I didn't recognize.

"Who?" I questioned even though I knew whom she was talking about.

"Zinan." She spat his name out and stared at me, waiting for my answer.

"The Spirit Detectives and my brother are fighting him now," I smiled at her hoping that would pacify her but it had the opposite effect.

"Juusagit!" She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up only to collapse as her legs gave out from the strain of holding her tiny frame. "Do they know about his dolls?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they do," I knelt next to her slipping my arm around her waist preparing to help her up and back into the bed.

"What dolls?" Hiei asked as his shoes came into my line of vision.

"The dolls, either you know about them or you don't!" She spoke shakily seemingly on the edge of consciousness, "We must get his, that's the only way to stop him!"

"Where are they?" Hiei's voice was toneless but I knew he meant business.

"In his room," Reiko coughed hard for a minute before spitting out a mouthful blood onto the floor. "I know where they are." She struggled back up to her feet and balanced precariously for a moment her face tightened in pain before taking a small step forward. "It's this way." Watching her was absolutely awful, it was easy to tell she was in so much pain but she refused to ask for help, I don't know why.

"Here, why don't you lean on me?" I offered holding out my hand.

"No…I'm fine…" she furrowed her brow in pain and I wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her.

"Enough." Hiei scooped her up, "This is faster, which way?" The look on her face was totally priceless as she grasped for what to say.

"Down this hall…take a right then go through the secret door." Reiko whispered seemingly shrinking into her self and away from us as we quietly padded down the hall. Looking around I didn't even try to suppress the shudder that came upon me about this awful place; there would always be bad memories in my mind from my times here. There was nothing I could do to change that, I had to come to terms with that and accept it, for if I didn't I would never find peace.

"Here," we stopped and Reiko motioned to Hiei to set her down and he did watching as she hobbled over to the stone wall and leaned on a stone in the wall forcing it back triggering a switch. With a loud groaning noise part of the stonewall inched backward and to the side revealing a pitch black tunnel which radiated evil while a rank stench invaded my nostrils. Clinging to the stonewall Reiko turned to Hiei and looked at him as if to say, 'ok, now it's your turn.' Holding out his hand Hiei summoned a fireball and stepped forward into the passageway Reiko and I close behind sticking close so as to utilize the light. It was dank and moldy down the passage, the sound of water dripping from somewhere was audible as we crept along at a snails pace so Reiko would be able to walk. None too soon it ended in a huge wall that loomed over us like an impossible challenge and yet again the defending champion Reiko stepped up to bat.

"Kick this stone." She pointed to a small hunk of rock that seemed insignificant to the wall as a whole but I drew back my foot and whacked it I was surprised when my foot sank into it. The sound of gears turning could be heard as a section of the barrier shot upward exposing a dimly lit office with a professional looking desk, bookshelves and a few chairs. Reiko moved quickly to the desk and collapsed behind it in front of a row of drawers, her hands shook as she reached out and grasped the handle of the bottom one and yanked it open.

What appeared to be a bunch of tiny dolls lay in the drawer along with a black metal box that had hundreds of little symbols carved on it. In one smooth motion she scooped all the dolls out and began ripping the itty-bitty manacles off all of them one by one. Shocked I realized that the doll she held in her hands was a replica of me before I could say anything she ripped the restraints off and I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from me. Once she was done she removed the box from its hiding place and set it on the floor next to herself prior to placing the dolls in a pile a small distance away from herself. Hauling herself to her feet she fisted her hands and banged on the top of the desk until she popped some sort of secret hinge and a concealed compartment opened exposing a black book. Reaching into the cubby Reiko took out the book setting it next to the box as she picked up the candle from the corner of the desk she lit the dolls on fire and then left them alone.

"May I borrow your sword?" She asked not even looking at Hiei as she turned to the box and book falling to her knees in front of them. Without a word he handed over the hilted blade observing her carefully as she took the blade and sliced her palm open and placed it over the black box. The odd thing was not a drop of blood spilled over the edge of the box; it was like the box was sucking the blood right out of her.

Gasping loudly Reiko yanked her hand away definably a few shades paler than before cradling her injured hand to her chest staring at the box. A few seconds later the box popped open to show that what was inside was a miniature of Zinan, every detail perfect. A weak grin flitted across Reiko's face as she picked up the discarded chains and completely bound the inanimate Zinan spilling blood all over it but instead of staining the doll was absorbed.

"What do we do now?" I questioned as the fire made from the dolls started to die out.

"We leave…to find Zinan…to subdue him…in the only way possible," Reiko staggered to her feet tucking the doll and book into her belt while Hiei took the opportunity to snatch his sword back and sheath it.

"How do we find Zinan?" He demanded his gaze drilling into her.

"Through the mirror." Reiko used the bookshelves to support her to the aforementioned mirror where she dipped her finger into the blood gathering on her palm and drew a symbol on the glass face of the mirror. "Hisdaro frevci wlon," she hissed and I watched in awe as the glass turned blood red and began rippling. "Let's go." She let go of the edge of the mirror and allowed herself to fall forward into the depths of the mirror disappearing from our sight.

"Reiko!" Hurriedly I rushed to the mirror and jumped in after her hoping to go to the same place she had gone.

"Prepare yourself for your final demise!" Zinan taunted right before throwing his head back and laughing manically, in front of me Reiko was sprawled on the floor the doll and book still tucked into her waistband. Something stopped me from calling out to her I don't know what but I kept silent, waiting and watching. Slowly she peeled herself off the floor and sat back on her butt her knees bent and her feet pointed backward.

"Zinan!" Reiko called out causing all of them to whip around and stare at her, "While they do not know who and what you are…I do and I can stop you."

"You and what army?" Zinan growled summoning energy to his hand causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand straight up.

"No army, just this!" She yanked the doll out of her clothes and the look horror that crossed over his features was wonderful, "Yarkja zubvi krofda." The bindings on Zinan's likeness began to glow and at the same time irons of light appeared on his body the same way as on the doll. Unable to stand upright much less defend himself he teetered and fell over as Reiko did an impression of it only fainting on her way down.

(Kuwabara)

It was kind of sudden, the bad guy was out of the way, a girl was unconscious on the ground, Wainani was sitting next to her looking relieved and Hiei was just there. I had no idea how they had got there but there they were and I wasn't complaining, at least it hadn't been Hiei to save us or I would have never lived it down. Chai was bent over Orino trying to wake her up, Kurama was watching Destin kick the crap out of Zinan while Yusuke talked to Koenma through his little compact thingy.

"We have Reiko here and that dude Zinan, yup, mm-hmm," he closed the thing and turned to me. "It's time to go home."

"YES!" I punched the air in victory.

"Everyone gather over here, we're going to be transported back to Spirit World headquarters." Yusuke yelled walking over to Zinan, Kurama picked up the white haired girl, Hiei and Wainani a step behind him and Chai brought over Orino a split second later we were in the main office surrounded by people. There was Koenma, George, Dundrogo, Leiko, Nishi, two guys, a kid and two women I didn't know.

"Drake!" Leiko ran over to him right into his arms tears streaming down her face. "Thank God you are alright, if you had…I don't even want to think about it! Hold me! Just hold me."

"Take Reiko to the infirmary and Zinan to the cell with the highest level of security!" Koenma ordered and George leapt to do what he said and the woman with dark brown hair walked over to Kurama with the white haired girl, she reached out and smoothed hair out of her face.

"She is so young," she voice was thick with tears. "Why do they have to involve the little ones? Why can't they attack the ones who can protect themselves?" Abruptly she turned away looking up at the ceiling blinking rapidly to stop any tears from coming as her throat convulsed.

"Mikki, it's ok," the man with black hair that had golden-brown streaks at the bottom hurried over to her and drew her into the comfort of his arms.

"I'm here to collect someone for the infirmary," a man with red hair that was darker than Kurama's ran in not even slightly out of breath.

"Right here," Koenma informed him and he nodded taking Reiko out of Kurama's arms.

"I would like the people involved in this case to come to the hospital wing as well for a check up to make sure none of you have been contaminated, if you don't want to come I will have you bodily dragged down." He then turned on his heel and left, feeling it was in my best interests I followed along with everyone else in the room. The hospital wing was actually a completely separate building and was very impressive; there were tons of machines and people buzzing about. I spotted Sayo, Oki, Dundrogo and another guy sitting next to a bed where a girl with bright red hair floated about a foot off the bed, next to them in the other beds were the rest of the victims.

"Everyone please wait here for one minute while I get this lady a bed, you sir please follow me with that woman so we can see to her receiving proper treatment." The man strode off with Chai close behind, leaving us standing there looking around and waiting for him to come back. A minute later a black haired, brown-eyed woman approached us and led us through a series of tests to make sure we weren't "tainted" by anything. We all passed with flying colors before we were shown back to Koenma's office where he was sitting behind his desk looking very professional which was never a good thing.

"I'm sorry to say but your task is not yet complete, Reiko is in no condition to be left on her own, she needs to be taken care of 24/7. She could receive this treatment here but the problem is that she would not recover very well mentally in this environment due to how sterile it is it's just too different from what she is used to. What she needs is a safe and comforting place, which is why I am having her taken to Genkai who will take care of her from start to finish. The only thing is that she will be needing someone to watch her and make sure she is ok, Genkai has students to tend to therefore she can't always be there and Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama have school so…Hiei, the responsibility falls on you to guard her." Koenma told us and next to me Hiei tensed and I half expected him to either tell him to stuff it or kill him but instead…he nodded assent!

"Good, good, as soon as Reiko has been check over to make sure she is in no immediate danger all of you will take her to Genkai's, now if you'll excuse me." Koenma dismissed us and we left to go and wait for Reiko outside of the infirmary building.

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REVIEW! please? Hope you like it! 


	11. Hospital Visit

Thank you crazedcandie, you are my ever faithful reviewer, so here you go, another chapter dedicated just to you! I shall explain the languae later!

Standard disclaimer applies

Chapter Eleven

(Jiro)

Leading the young man with the unconscious lady in his arms to a pair of empty beds I motioned for him to set her down on one while I set the badly abused white haired girl on the other. Bending over the one with green streaked orange hair I pulled out a portable scanner and did a quick check to make sure she was clean and not tainted.

"What's her name? What happened to her? Does she have any relatives?" I demanded of the black haired man next to me as I checked her pulse, breathing and her pupil dilation.

"Orino, she was possessed by Zinan and she doesn't have any relatives, I'm the only one she considers family." He told me his tone neutral as I checked her for any mental or physical damage, there was nothing, the reason why she was like this was she had her energy drained.

"She's fine, a little rest is all she needs, I would like to keep her here over night to make sure that my diagnosis is correct," I felt her forehead with the back of my hand. "Is that alright with you?" I began filling out her chart on the clipboard at the end of the bed.

"Yes, do you have a patient here named Akiko?" He asked me stroking a few stray strands of hair out of Orino's face.

"Yes, she is in bed 15 over there, do you happen to know what happen to the lady over there?" I stuck the clipboard into the holder at the end of Orino's bed and turned to the woman who I had carried in.

"That's Reiko, she's another one of Zinan's victims, that's all I know about her." The man told me and I nodded more to myself than to him.

"Thank you for your help you may leave after you have had yourself checked out for any taint from that slug Zinan." I put him from my mind and focused on the unconscious apparition in front of me, she was clean as if she had just taken a bath. Placing a finger on her forehead I scanned inside of her to see if there were any complications that might need to be taken care of before she was moved, what I saw horrified me. Her organs were twisted, eaten at and grossly injured; the damage could only have been done by some of the most dangerous and illegal drugs ever sold through the underground. Drawing out of her, I quickly made note of all I had seen on her chart so Genkai could handle it before doing a thorough external examination marking down everything from cuts to bruises. When I tried to enter her mind to see if she had sustained any mental damage I was unable to get past the very strong barrier she had erected. After making a few more observations on the chart I picked her up and took her to where the Spirit Detectives were waiting outside my door.

"When you transporting her I want you to remember that she is in a very delicate condition and all damage to her has not been fully ascertained. Give the clipboard to Genkai it has all the information I was able to get on her in the short amount of time I was given. I also want you to tell her that Jiro says she needs time, lots of time and don't push her too hard, she might break." I passed Reiko off to the black-haired man with slashing blood red eyes. "Take extreme care with her." I watched them walk off with my patient as I said a quick prayer for her for I knew _her_ road to recovery was not going to be an easy one.

Re-entering the hospital building I made the rounds checking on all of my patients, talking to their family and making notes on their charts. Most of them were ready to go home so I signed their release forms. Pausing near one set of beds I watched two fraternal twins hug their mother and receive hugs from other family members. The twins were Yoko and Wakana, their mother was Tora and her brothers and their wives Taro and Midori and Toru and Nishi with their son Toshi were there. In the next bed was Akiko, she was still floating a foot off the bed with her siblings Sayo, Drake, Oki and Dundrogo around the bed with Leiko and Dai also they were partners to two of them. Off to the side stood the man who had brought in Orino shadows surrounding him almost obscuring him from sight as he waited for the family to leave I believe.

On my way back to my desk to start on the load of paperwork I was going to have I spotted my only patient who had no one there for her, her name was Miyuki. She had long pink hair that was just about as dirty as her clothing and her eyes were a deep dark murky blue that seemed to reflect sadness. My heart went out to her for I knew what it was like to sit alone wishing for someone to come and hold me close. Grabbing a passing nurse I ordered a hot bath and a new set of clothes for the girl.

"How are you doing?" I queried sitting on the edge of the bed next to her and felt her forehead with the back of hand, she still had a rather high temperature.

"I feel like shit, can I have a cigarette?" She muttered locking eyes with me as she began to cough hard.

"I think that would be your answer," I smiled at her as she gave a snort of slight humor. "How would you like a bath?"

"Are you kidding me? I would _love_ a bath and even that is an understatement." She struggled to sit up but was still too weak from the disease that was ravaging her body at the moment.

"Let me help you up, there will be a nurse there to assist you along with a nice new pair of lounge clothes." I informed her pulling back the heavy covers and helping her to her feet, I knew that she would feel humiliated if I carried her so instead I let her lean on me. "If you need anything at all feel free to give a call." We had reached the room with the bath but to my surprise I found it empty, that was right, all the nurses would be on call tonight and I was to be the only on here.

"Where's the nurse?" Miyuki questioned cocking an eyebrow at me as I set her down next to the tub.

"Obviously not here leaving me in a very nasty predicament," I rubbed the back of my neck while I tried to figure out what to do. "How about this, you get undressed and wrap a towel around yourself, then I'll pick you up and set you in the tub, you'll hand me the towel while I keep my eyes averted and we repeat the procedure at the end?"

"Sounds fine to me," Miyuki said dismissively. "It's not like you're some random guy, you're some sort of doctor which means you see people starkers everyday." With that she began to unbutton her top and I averted my eyes and deemed her still in shock from her time in Zinan's prison with the fever talking for her. "God it feels good to be out of those skanky clothes, I have been wearing them for about two months…yuck… where's the towel?" Coughing politely I held the towel out to her my head turned away from her. "A little closer…" I inched toward her, "Keep coming…thank you," the towel was taken from me and I folded my arms waiting for her to wrap it around herself.

"Are you ready to get in the tub?" I inquired after a moment or two.

"Yup," she replied and turned to find her lying on the floor the towel wrapped haphazardly around her body. "Come and get me into that bath." Very carefully I helped her up and into the tub hearing her splash around and sigh contentedly, "There's even soap and shampoo, I must be dreaming."

"Um…the towel?" I held out my hand for it but instead it hit me right on the head before falling down onto my shoulder as Miyuki broke out into gales of giggles and I retreated from the room. Once outside I heaved a sigh of relief, taking care of women was not a specialty of mine, whenever I do try to take care of them I usually do something wrong.

"Excuse me Doctor, we're going to the relative wing, if there is any change, please contact us," it was Akiko's younger sister Oki, she had her arms wrapped around her fiancé Dai.

"But of course," I inclined my head as she and the rest of the family departed leaving me alone with all of my patients. Making my way to the laundry area I dumped the sopping wet towel and gathered three more just in case something should happen.

About fifteen minutes later I re-entered the room where Miyuki was bathing to find her sound asleep in the now lukewarm water. Reaching under the water I pulled the plug and watched the water quickly drain from the tub before I gently lifted her from the bath and dried her off. Once that was done I dressed her and then picked her up and left the small chamber heading for her assigned bed. Standing over the bed I made a sound of disgust at the dirty sheets and carried her instead to clean bed that was closer to my desk so I could keep an eye on her. Tugging the covers down I laid her down and covered her, smoothing her wet hair away from her face and started toward my desk.

"Don't leave me," she slurred grabbing my hand. "I don't want to be alone." Glancing down at her I found myself entranced by her blue eyes so I grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the bed not letting go of her hand.

"I won't let go and you're not alone, I'm right here." I squeezed her hand and settled in for a long night.

(Chai­­­)

Finally Akiko's family left and I was all alone with the girl who had helped me save the only person I had left to call family or friend. Stepping out of the shadows that had concealed me for so long I sat down in one of the vacated chairs next to her bed and just looked at her. She was floating about a foot off the bed her bright red hair was floating around her face making it look like she was suspended underwater not in the air. Coming out of her back was a pair of beautiful feathered wings that were the color of fire a wonderful blend of orange, yellow and red. Her body was still clad in the dirty shift we had found her in and her skin was marred with bruises, dirt and blood. She looked like an angel of war. After freeing Orino she had withdrawn from my mind and was nowhere to be found.

Shutting my eyes I searched for the path that she had used to talk to me, it was easy to find for it was a bright white just like the light she had filled me with. Gathering courage I ventured onto the path and followed it right into Akiko's mind where I hoped to find her and thank her. When I entered her psyche I found her inner reflection of herself in this form chained up in a small dark room crying out for someone to help her. Collapsed on the floor in front of her was her other form its blond hair matted with blood, her pale blue eyes staring straight ahead.

'_Chai, you came! The young girl said you would!' _The Akiko hanging on the wall looked up to meet my eyes with her brilliant green ones. _'Zinan's power still holds me here, I need you to help me get out!' _

'_What do I need to do?'_ I approached her and stood in front of her.

'_You have to help me accept what happened to me, you need to get me down so I can merge with my other self. I was never meant to be separated from her.'_ Akiko explained to me. Nodding to show I understood I wrapped my hands around the shackle around her right wrist, as soon as I touched it I was thrown into a memory.

"_How's business little sister?" Akiko asked propping herself against the doorjamb to a studio where a woman with purple hair was swinging a pipe with a partially finished piece of glass on the end in a circle._

"_Peachy, how's life?" She grunted as she stopped and stuck the end of the pipe with the cooling glass into a piece of equipment that's insides were glowing bright orange with heat. _

"_Pretty good, I think-" abruptly Akiko cut herself off and flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "Pretty good."_

"_What were you going to say?" The woman turned to look at her sister and I recognized Sayo the one who had been extremely emotional over Akiko being kidnapped._

"_Oh nothing," she waved off what she was going to say as she entered the shop and looked around. "Always as clean as usual, eh Sayo?"_

"_Don't you know it." Sayo quipped smashing the barely formed piece into a metal bucket._

"_Excuse me," a dark sinister voice whispered causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. "I'm looking for Akiko, is she here?" Snapping my head to the side I saw Zinan standing in the doorway where Akiko had just been his black eyes shinning with malice._

"_No, I'm sorry, I believe you have the wrong address," Akiko told him haughtily not allowing Sayo to speak and give away who she was._

"_No, I think I have the right address," he smirked evilly and approached Akiko as she swallowed hard and backed away._

"I remember that," _turning I saw the chained up Akiko._ "I was going to tell Sayo that I thought someone was stalking me but I couldn't get the courage to do so…I didn't want to bother her."_ She looked back at the scene unfolding in front of us and I followed her gaze in time to see Zinan pin Sayo up against the wall and freeze Akiko in place. She was trembling hard as she struggled to free herself but was unable to before Zinan grabbed her and they sank into the shadows._

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't think it was important but it was, you made a mistake, all people do that, no one is perfect." _I turned to look at Akiko as she observed her sister fall to the floor and begin screaming as she clasped her hands to her head._ "What's going on with her?"

"Zinan's telling her exactly what he's going to do to me, he's rubbing it in that she can't do anything to save me." _She ripped her gaze away from the screaming Sayo and instantly the memory stopped._

"He was wrong, Sayo was able to do something, she helped free many of the prisoners including you, she didn't let anyone down and neither did you." _I told her reaching out to touch her face, _"There was no way you could have known what he was planning to do." _Her eyes met mine before we were pulled back to her mind._

The shackle around her wrist faded into nothingness, as did the chains that were connected to it leaving her one step closer to being free with three restraints left. Without a word I bent down and clasped the one on her right ankle this time prepared for what was going to happen.

"_I have heard tell that you can see into the future Akiko, is this true? If it is I would like you to tell me my own future." Zinan trailed a finger down the side of her face as he spoke causing her to jerk away from him hate blazing in her eyes._

"_Kiss my ass!" She spat out venom dripping off those three words._

"_Why do you people always insist on taking the hard way every single time? It's not that hard to just say yes or no is it?" Zinan arched an eyebrow before he grabbed her by the front of her clothes and hauled her up close so their noses were scant millimeters apart. "Answer me!"_

"_Never!" Akiko spat right in his face her face twisted in her hatred._

"_Fine, I will pull the information from you!" He grabbed her by the head and a few minutes later she collapsed her hair turning blond as she hit the floor her eyes half open._

"_They will come for you…they'll take it all away…prison…torture…" she began muttering seemingly more to herself than to Zinan._

"That's when he separated us." _It was the bound Akiko, _"It hurt so much, I wasn't strong enough to fight him. He was just suddenly in my mind crushing any fight I might have been able to put up; he ripped me apart so he could get his predictions. When I was born my mother knew that I would be clairvoyant, she didn't want me to suffer from knowing what would happen before it even occurred. So what she did was she changed me in a way that I would have all of my predictions while I was asleep but when I woke up I wouldn't be able to remember them. She placed the burden of my all knowing powers on my 'human' form, the one with blond hair, since I was one with her when I went into that form I wouldn't recall the premonitions and she would completely forget them."

"It wasn't your fault, any assault on the mind is a difficult battle to fight and win, and it's amazing you even lasted for the small amount of time you did. Some of the strongest fighters in the world can't last a moment under a mental barrage, that's why those who can manipulate the mind are so dangerous. You hadn't had any previous exposure to attacks on your psyche." _I told her this and she raised her eyes to mine bringing us back._

The manacle disappeared along with the connected chains leaving only her left side supported causing her to list to that side her green eyes looking just a little weary. I couldn't imagine the toll the whole thing was taking on her but I was sure it was immense from the lines of strain beginning to appear around her mouth and eyes.

'_Only two more,'_ I reassured her taking the third ones in my hands.

_It was pitch black, there was nothing, nothing at all. The oppressive darkness was smothering me as insanity crept closer. Where were they? Where were my saviors? When would I get out of this hell? None of my visions would tell me, none of them; they just showed Zinan wrapped up in chains of light. Were they what was to come or my own fantasies? I didn't know. I wanted to know. _

"They will come for you, you will be freed." _I spoke out loud for I had figured out that I was inside of Akiko's mind during the time of her imprisonment. _"Your siblings are on their way with the rest."

_Will he come? Will the warrior of darkness that the girl spoke of come? Will he save me?_

"Yes, the warrior of darkness with come," _I answered her truthfully because seeing as how I was an apparition of darkness that made me a warrior of darkness of sorts and I had been there._

_Are you sure? They won't leave me? I won't be alone?_

"You are never alone, your family's love follows you wherever you go." _It felt really odd to be the one saying all these things because I usually hated sap like this but it worked well and I found myself standing in front of Akiko._

The chains disappeared leaving her hanging by one arm, one memory left, one more test, one more obstacle until we were finished and she could return to how she once was.

"Here we go." I grasped the last remaining iron letting myself be pitted into the memory.

_I found myself standing in front of Zinan himself, he grinned at me showing as many teeth as possible. He looked immaculate as possible, not a greasy strand of black hair out of place not a wrinkle in his dark robes, his eyes glittered like gems but they were harder than diamond. _

"_Welcome to my realm Chai, I'm impressed you managed to get this far with such a weakling like Akiko, she was never able to do anything." Zinan casually motioned to the setting around him bringing my attention to it. If there was ever a place that looked any more like hell than this place I would have been surprised, the place was inhabited by his nasty inner reflections and there was fire and lava pits everywhere. _

"_Thanks ever so much for rolling out the red carpet for me, I'm honored," I snarled at him longing more than anything to just rip his throat out._

"_Why, anytime," he gave me a slight mocking bow. "This is test that includes both you and Akiko with you being the more active participant. What is going to happen is you are going to be given a choice of two things, and depending on which one you choose Akiko will either be scarred for life or weeping with joy."_

"_Alright what are the choices?" I demanded ready to do anything to help Akiko get out of this psychopathic delinquent's grasp._

"_You can either kill me right here, right now or save Akiko from certain death, here are the rules, you can choose one and only one option. You cannot kill me than save her or save her and then kill me because as soon as you start to do one of the options the other will, in Akiko's case die and in mine, I shall disappear." He enlightened me, "Shall we begin? Oh and once we start you have one minute to make up your mind, any hesitation past that point and Akiko dies and I disappear without a trace."_

"_I'm ready," I told him, my mind was made up, I knew what I was going to choose, but did he?_

* * *

hee hee! My first real cliffie! Be afraid and review! 


	12. Back to the Real World

Sorry it took so long to update, I'm back in shcool being crushed under a mountain of work...boo hoo! I have very little time to do what I want and that depresses me! Well thank you to all of my reviewers!

Crazedcandie- the ever faithful! Thank you for your review, I understand the who love/hate relationship! In a past review you asked what Reiko had said in her other language...well here it is!

Juusagit- (insert fav swear word or "no")

Slivdaf hurshcib wridel- (Make them stop)

Reiocu- thank you!

icedragongurl15- Here it is! Chapter 12!

**XXXXX - time elapse  
**

Standard disclaimers apply!

Chapter Twelve

(Akiko)

_One minute I had been watching Chai take hold of my last binding and then I was floating in a void of nothingness. For a space of time I cannot account for I hung there wondering what was going on and what was going to happen to me. Where was Chai? Was I ever going to be free? Would I ever be able to see my family again? Abruptly I found myself falling and I scrambled for a hold on the rocky surface in front of me. My right hand wrapped around a sharp black rock that sliced into my palm jerking me to a sudden stop wrenching my shoulder out of its socket. Pain almost forced me to let go of my lifeline but I held tight grappling to find another hold for my left hand so as to relieve the pressure being put on my injured arm._

"_I'm ready." I would know that voice anywhere, it was Chai, but where was he? I couldn't see anything but the rock wall in front and above me and the molten lava beneath me. Waves of heat washed over me, and my body began doing overtime to pump out sweat and adrenaline to cool me and give me energy._

"_Chai!" I screamed, my voice was harsh from fear and it grated on my ears, "Chai! Help me!" The fingers on my right hand had gone numb and I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer, the blood gushing from my wounded hand was making it hard to hold on._

"_He's not coming, do you actually think that he would save you when he has the chance to kill me?" Zinan's voice whispered in my ear and my heart froze skipping a beat before doing double time to pump icy fear through my body. "Little insignificant you? Someone like you is worthless, not one would _ever _consider saving you, not even your family so why do you think this man, who doesn't even know you would save you? There is no hope. You will die." Fear clogged my throat as my blood soaked fingers slipped off the rocks and I plummeted down towards death in the molten lava._

"_Kiko!" A strong hand wrapped around my wrist and my descent was stopped, "I have you, don't worry." Hardly daring to breath I looked up and my eyes locked with his red flecked steel grey ones. "I need your other hand." Grimacing in agony I reached out for him tears flowing down my cheeks, he had come for me._

I was back in my mind and I was yet again falling but this time right into Chai's arms where I clung to him and sobbed with relief for my ordeal almost over. He held me to him tightly as he slowly sat down not loosening his hold on me giving me the comfort that I craved so much. It took a little while for me to calm down enough to stop crying and gather my scattered wits to me so I could merge with my other self that was still lying in a heap near us. Squeezing Chai hard to signal I was ok, I let go of him and crawled over to my other self, bracing myself for what was to come as I reached out and clasped her to me.

My mind shattered into a million pieces as I fell into the dark depths of a lost mind that had been hidden away for much to long.

'_Who are you?' Looking up I saw my other form, Kiko for now, she was sitting in the middle of the blackness with her knees bent in such a way that her heels were inches from her hips. Her blue eyes were hooded, as she stared at me no curiosity what so ever in her gaze, her tone was monotonous with no feeling in it. _

'_I am you and you are me, we were not meant to be apart but we were separated like this.' I told her this quietly as I crouched down in front of her trying not to come across as intimidating._

'_We do not look similar, nor do you seem familiar.' She blinked at me as she appraised me tilting her head to one side as she did so, 'I have always been in the dark, just like this. Why should I believe you?'_

'_Because you can feel it deep within you that you are meant to be one with me, when we are apart it hurts us in ways that are hard to explain.' I tried to put into words what I knew but she didn't seem to._

'_He won't be out there will he? That man who want to know about the future? I don't like talking about it, they call it a gift but it is a curse, a dark thing that taints the soul.' Something flickered in her eyes as she grasped a memory of the outside world that she had almost forced out of her mind._

'_He's gone, the dark skinned one is with the authorities right now, we're safe, we can merge without any fear.' I held out my hand to her really not sure what to do, Kiko didn't seem to really care to become one but there was something about her that wouldn't let me leave in this place. _

'_Is the dark warrior here?' Kiko asked the question I knew I would have also asked in the same situation._

'_In the flesh, he wants to meet both of us and to do that we need to become one." I kept my hand outstretched as I waited for her answer._

'_Will it hurt?' She was already reaching out for my hand as she asked._

'_Only for a moment.' Our hands met and there was a flash of bright light and together we screamed as pain shot through us and I then I opened my eyes._

"Akiko?" Turning my head to one side I spotted Chai sitting next to me a concerned look on his face as I realized I was actually conscious in the hospital.

"Chai…" my voice was hoarse from little use, "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Thank you," I pulled myself up into a sitting position and gingerly touched my arm to make sure it wasn't dislocated; it wasn't due to the fact that it had happened in my mind.

"No, thank you. You helped me save the only person I consider family." Chai replied reaching out and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Do you want me to go get the doctor? Your family?"

"No, I just want to stay here with you for a little bit, just you." I smiled at him as shock flitted through his eyes.

"You need sleep, you're exhausted. I'll stay with you while you sleep and make sure nothing happens but I think that a little recuperation is needed before you go and do anything else." Chai told me.

"Ok, just as long as you stay here," I reverted to my 'human' blond form so as to sleep better without my wings getting in my way. "No letting the boogey man get me." Chai let out a snort of laughter as he nodded, almost instantly I fell captive to the seductive lure of sleep.

**_XXXXX_ **

"Mmm," I groaned; someone was gently shaking me trying to force me to wake up before I wanted to.

"Akiko you need to wake up, the doctor wants to check you out." It was Chai, was he the one shaking me?

"Can't he do that while I'm sleeping? It's not that hard, you just do a quick once over." I muttered burrowing deeper into my pillow desperate to get away from them and sleep more; I needed _sleeeeeep_.

"Akiko Nana Sawasaki! You get up right now!" A sharp commanding voice penetrated my brain I jerked into a sitting position to find Oki scowling at me her arms akimbo. Even thought she was the youngest of us all we all lived in fear of her sharp tongue and bossy somehow mother-like ways.

"What, I need sleep," I whined wincing as the red haired doctor poked a still healing bruise. "And before you don't ask, yes that did hurt!" I snapped at him causing him to look up at me a twinkle in his violet eyes.

"I guess you are feeling much better, your whole family has been terribly worried about you, Sayo nearly beheaded me when I told her you weren't responding mentally to any stimulus." He pulled back and signed a chart he was holding with a flourish, "I'm glad to announce that the little miss is ready to leave the hospital but there are some rules she has to abide by."

"Ok, shoot." Oki pulled out a notepad and pen ready to write it all down.

"No drinking, smoking, drugs, extreme exercise…" he was ticking all the things off on his fingers as he told them to my baby sister who jotted them down in her personal shorthand. Rolling my eyes I looked to Chai who was watching me and my heart melted when I saw how haggard he was looking.

"Thanks, please come see me some time," I smiled at him as he nodded and stood up to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Oki snapped and Chai jumped.

"I was going to go check on my friend and then leave," he informed her.

"Oh I see you're just going to leave? I don't think so! I have a wedding to plan; Sayo has work to catch up on, as does Drake and Dun is about to go on a musical tour, there is no one to take care of my dear irresponsible sister. She needs constant round the clock care and you are going to be the one to give it to her because it is obvious to me if not everyone you are the only one she will listen to." Chai stood there looking dumbstruck and cornered just like Oki wanted him to be. "Now, here is the list of things you need to know…."

As I watched my little sister lecture the man who had saved me I knew that everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

Well thank you all again and please R&R! I beg of you!  



	13. Healing the Wounds

Here we go! Chapter 13! I can't believe it! Well thank you to all of my reviewers...here they are!

Crazedcandie: You were the first one to review for the last chapter! Ok, that one chapter where Reiko screams out in another language she uses only two sentences...here they are...I'm too lazy to insert them into the story...

"Juusagit!"- (insert fav swear word or "no")

"Slivdaf hurshcib wridel!"- (Make them stop)

Purplehaze: Actually the reason Hiei didn't object was because he had an ulterior motive...

Icedragongurl15: Here is the next chapter

Reiocu: I have continued...here it is!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 13

(Genkai)

"Genkai," Yusuke approached me. "We have Reiko and she needs just a little bit of help." Standing up I followed him into the adjacent bedroom where I found Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei and an unconscious girl. "The doctor wanted us to give you this." Yusuke handed me a clipboard with her medical report on it and a note or two from Dr. Jiro.

"Ok, leave me alone to work on her, I'll give a yell if I need you squirts." I told them giving them a glare that kicked them out of the room as I turned to the young looking girl who was out cold. Bending over her I checked her pulse, it was strong and steady but her skin was clammy and cool to the touch. Taking her loose clothes off I began to do a thorough investigation of all of her injuries. Deciding that it would be easier to start at her feet I picked up her left foot and lightly pressed on the sole of it in different places watching to see if the girl would react. She did by moaning in pain and trying to curl up to get away from my prodding hands. Inspecting her foot closer I was disgusted by what I found; there were about a dozen tiny slivers of glass under her skin, which had healed over it. Three out of her five toes were broken and a few of the toenails had been removed. It was the same with the right foot.

Moving up to her legs I noted lacerations, burns, scrapes, insect bites bruises, sores and welts. Some of them were half healed while the others were fresh, there were scars as well marring her flesh. On her abdomen and torso there were more scars and wounds like on her legs but there was a particularly nasty gash above her belly button that was severely infected. Her arms were in bad shape as well, in addition to cuts, bruises, insect bites, scrapes and welts there were puncture wounds that could have been made by nails or another sharp tool. The bands around her wrists were covered in scratches and small dents that I assumed she had made in trying to get them off.

Her hands were in better shape than her feet but not by much, there were no glass shards or broken bones but hundreds of tiny little paper cuts. The cuts were an angry red as if they had been exposed to salt water or lemon juice. A few of her fingernails were missing and both her middle fingers were slightly crooked as if they had been broken and healed that way. Fortunately her throat was basically untouched except for a few bruises and a long thin scar that went from under one of her ears to the other. She sported a split lip that would need to be stitched; a crooked nose and a few cuts on her face. Rolling her over onto her back I sucked in a breath of air as I caught sight of her backside, the whole thing was almost one big infected, half healed wound. It appeared that she had been whipped brutally at one time and the end result had been left to fester.

Entering her body using my energy I grimly viewed all of the internal damage she had sustained from the many poisons she had been made to drink. All of her organs were twisted and mutated from trying to survive and function under the destructive influence of the poisons. It was a miracle she was even able to breath and have her heart beat at the same time. Reaching out to touch her mind and see what was going on in there I was repelled by an incredible barrier that she had erected; Jiro had been right, it was impossible to get past. Pulling out I found a set of weary eyes watching me; Reiko had awakened and was regarding me warily from her vulnerable position.

"My name's Genkai, you must be Reiko, right?" I questioned, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," she whispered.

"I'm going to try and heal you but I need to ask a few things first. Do you want me to break your middle fingers so they can heal straight? Do you want me to straighten your nose?" I asked because looks mean a lot to people these days.

"I don't care." She muttered averting her eyes from mine.

"Alright then." I turned to the door, "Yusuke! Get Yukina for me!" A minute later Yukina came in carrying medical supplies in her arms.

"I am here Genkai." She came up beside me and gasped loudly as she caught sight of Reiko.

"Reiko, this is Yukina, she's going to assist me." I told her but wasn't surprised when the girl didn't respond but opted to not look at us. "We're going to put you into a deep sleep so you don't feel too much pain." Yet again no response, nodding to Yukina I signaled her to put her under so we could begin.

"Where to start?" Yukina looked at me, "She's in such awful shape!"

"Why don't you try to fix some of her internal damage while I begin on her feet." I suggested digging into the medical supplies to find one of my small sharp knives.

"Ok." Yukina sat down next to her on the bed and quietly withdrew from her body and into Reiko's. Smoothly I slid towels under the patient's feet and positioned myself to begin to remove the slivers of glass from her feet. Locating the first one I sliced into the skin and reached for the small shard with a pair of tweezers; it took a little bit to finally grasp it and pull it out. Once it was out I drew on my energy to speed up the healing process of her body to close the skin but discovered that her body didn't respond to my type of healing. It was going to be a _looong_ night.

(time elapse)

As I rooted the last shard from Reiko's feet I gave myself a figurative pat on the back and bandaged up her foot. Yukina was still submerged in Reiko's body so I began cleaning out her open wounds and applying disinfectant and bandages; sometimes I would thread a needle and sew up a deeper cut. I left no injuries uncared for as I worked my way up her body. When I reached the slashed flesh above her belly button that was infected I carefully cut it myself and squeezed the pus and tainted blood out of the area until the blood from it ran a dark red. I cleansed it, disinfected it and then bandaged it as Yukina pulled from Reiko's body and almost collapsed off the bed but grabbed onto the bed frame and held firm.

"Drink." I held a cup of water to her lips and she gulped it down her eyes closed with fatigue. "How was it? Any better?"

"I managed to stabilize her organs but that's it, her body barely responds to any healing energy what so ever." She breathed out before drinking the rest of the water I had handed her and set down the empty cup.

"I don't know why she doesn't respond, it seems we're going to have to use the usual means of healing with medication and bandages." I glanced at Reiko who was starting to look like a mummy due to all of her bandages. "It could be she's been healed so many times she's become impervious to it or maybe it's those cuffs, which one I'm not sure."

"I need to rest before I can do anything." Yukina informed me as she rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"I agree, we can't do anything if we get sick. Let's cover her up and have one of the boys watch her while we grab something to eat and then get some rest." I eased a pair of pants onto Reiko before covering her with a warm quilt and helping Yukina to the kitchen where Hiei was sitting in the window gazing out into the wilderness surrounding my home.

"Go and watch Reiko you useless lump." I commanded as I commenced scrounging up some food for Yukina and I to eat. Without a sound he stood up pulled off his cloak, wrapped it around Yukina and walked off to the room we had left.

"Why is Hiei here?" Yukina questioned sitting down.

"To watch over Reiko." I stated not telling her that he had a more personal reason to come, which was to protect his beloved sister who knew not who he was.

"Oh." She accepted the tea I handed her and the plate of cold food from the fridge. Together we ate in silence before retreating to our rooms to sleep. On my way past Reiko's room I looked in and found Hiei sitting in a chair he had tipped up against the wall his gaze fixed on the girl but it wasn't her he was seeing. Closing the door I went to my room and got dressed for bed. Lying in bed I stared up at the ceiling trying to figure out why Reiko seemed familiar to me though I didn't think I had ever seen her in my life. Eventually sleep claimed me and I rushed off to the dream world with a heavy mind.

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R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R PLEASE! 


	14. Heart to Heart

Ok peeps, here is my goal, I want to finish this story by the end of the summer but to do so I will need all of your support and help! I know basically what's going to happen I just have to get it down...oh dear lord above help me!

To all my reviewers!

Gothic-ember- Yeah I know the whole OC thing is confusing, I just wanted to ties up a few loose strings. Now I'm going to focus on mainly my fav OC Reiko! YEAH!

Crazedcandie- sorry to say darling but you weren't the first one to review this time but I still look forward to your reviews my faithful follower!

Reiocu- I don't know how I do it either, I was reading the chapter to my friend over the phone and the whole time I was cringing and wondering if my dinner would stay down. I don't understand myself sometimes.

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Fourteen

(Yukina)

Waking up slowly I rolled over in my bed trying to cling to sleep just a little longer as the golden rays of sun shone on me urging me to get up and embrace the day. As I stared up at the ceiling I found myself thinking about the girl in the next room who I had known as a friend for a while, it was hard to think of her as the same person as Hikari. They were so different in appearances alone, how much would they differ in personalities? Knowing that it would be near impossible to fall asleep now I got out of bed and dressed in a pretty dark green kimono I had found near my bed around Christmas time.

"You awake?" Genkai asked me from outside of my room.

"Yes." I opened the door to find her fully dressed and carrying lots of medical supplies. "Would you like some help?"

"No, I'm fine." Genkai waved me off as she headed down the hall to Reiko's room; as she entered Hiei left his red eyes catching mine for a moment before he walked off. "After we eat something we can continue our work on the invalid."

"Sounds good to me." I walked to the kitchen and started to make a nice breakfast to help build up our strength so we could heal Reiko quicker. Genkai came into the room as I was putting everything onto plates.

"She hasn't appeared to gotten better in the slightest, it's like her body doesn't want to get better." Genkai growled as she sat down and began to eat her breakfast.

"It takes time," I offered this as a form of reassurance.

"I know." Genkai muttered, "I just want her to get better so I can figure out something." She quickly finished her food and stood up, "When you're done join me in Reiko's room."

"Of course." I ate as much of my food as I could and then cleared up the dishes before cleaning them. My mind was filled with many thoughts; I wanted to know if Hiei had found my brother, how Kazuma was doing, if Reiko would be ok, the list went on and on. When I was done I hurried to the room where Reiko and Genkai were, it appeared that Reiko was awake because Genkai was talking to her, but she wasn't responding.

"How are you feeling?" Genkai asked

"……." Reiko continued to stare up at the ceiling completely ignoring Genkai as she fixed her up.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"……."

"Do you need anything?"

"……." Genkai finally stopped asking questions when she realized it was futile and Reiko wasn't going answer.

"I think today I'll work on just her heart, what do you think?" I sat down next to Reiko observing how she didn't acknowledge me at all.

"That sounds like a good idea," Genkai agreed, she was rolling Reiko over to take care of her back, which was just one big pus-oozing wound. Laying a hand on Reiko's bare shoulder I slipped into her and began to study her heart. The organ was slightly better than it had been yesterday due to the miniscule amount of healing I had forced upon it. The tissues that made it up were almost non-existent and what was there was diseased and almost rotten.

Gathering up my energy I began to rid the remaining cardio tissue of disease by basically burning it out with the intensity of my energy. I couldn't miss a single spot or leave a dot of the disease on or in the cells of the tissue for it would multiply and spread again. Inside and out I scoured everything out and off of the organ being completely meticulous. When I was finished I channeled my energy into stimulating growth of tissue to steady the organ and make it stronger so she didn't have any heart failure.

When I pulled out of her I barely registered it was night before collapsing into darkness.

(time elapse)

"Don't worry Hiei, she just over taxed herself in healing Reiko," I heard Genkai talking to someone who must have been Hiei. I wanted to open my eyes and tell them that I was ok, but it felt like my eyes had leaden weights on them making it impossible to open them. A wave of exhaustion swept over me and I was gone dragged back into the depths of sleep but this time I had dreams.

"_Do you have any family Hikari?" I asked looking to my friend who was sitting next to me her brown hair piled on top of her head as she peeled potatoes with me._

"_Nope, I never knew my parents." She responded her voice calm but she was glaring at her potato as if had offended her._

"_Same here, I have a brother out there but I don't know who he is." I sighed rubbing my arm across my forehead._

"_I'm sorry," Hikari apologized to me as she finished off her potato. "But to me family is a waste of time. Your parents are supposed to love you unconditionally but instead they abandon you and forget you even exist." She dropped her potato into the pan and stared off into the distance. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."_

The scene changed to another time when I had been with my friend.

"_What do you do for a living?" I questioned my friend; I loved asking her questions because she always told me what she thought without softening it at all._

"_I help those who life has spat on." She replied not looking up from her crossword, "The poor unfortunates who have been abandoned, abused and ignored; mostly children."_

"_Wow, you're actually making a difference in the world!" I thought this was wonderful._

"_If you wanna look at it like that, I tend to look at it more like no one could do anything for me so I want to do something for those who need help." Hikari shrugged nonchalantly._

The picture faded to be replaced by another.

"_KARI!" A little child launched herself at Hikari; I was at her work at her invitation. "We missed you! Ichiro's being mean to me!"_

"_Hello Kuniko," Hikari picked her up and kissed her on the forehead. "What did Ichiro do to you this time?"_

"_He pulled on my braids and tripped me!" Kuniko explained completely indignant._

"_Well, what can I say; he's a boy." Hikari laughed setting her charge down and pulling her hair back in a ponytail. "Kuniko this is my friend Yukina."_

"_Hi 'Kina, my name's Kuniko." Kuniko greeted me a big smile on her face._

Opening my eyes I slowly brought the other person in the room into focus, it was Hiei. He was sitting next to my bed his eyes closed in sleep his face totally relaxed and open making him look so much more…vulnerable. As I watched him I realized how little I knew about him but yet I looked to him to search for the one person I wanted to meet the most. If I could choose who my brother was, out of all the people I knew, I would choose Hiei, he just seemed like such an older brother type person. Smiling to myself I sat up and instantly Hiei's eyes snapped open.

"Good morning, how long was I out?" I questioned.

"Three days." Hiei regarded me with dispassionate red eyes as he stated this watching to see my reaction.

"Three whole days?" I was shocked, I knew I had been out for a while but I hadn't thought three whole days.

"Good thing you're finally awake, now that lamebrain won't have any reason to stop by and plague us." Hiei pushed himself to his feet, "You stay here, and I'll go get Genkai." It was cute how he pretended like he didn't care what happened to me but I knew he did, I knew because of all the times he'd saved me and the snippet of conversation I had caught during my period of down time.

"How are you feeling?" Genkai walked in pulling me from my thoughts.

"Fine," I assured her. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"I knew you were fine, it was that imbecile Kuwabara and Hiei who worried, though Hiei will most likely deny it." Genkai shook her head, "If you'd like you can get up and do what you like. While you were recovering I finished patching up Reiko, her heart is in almost perfect condition and I fixed her lungs to probably the best shape they could be in under the circumstances."

"Ok." I got up as she left and pulled on a proper set of clothes. Walking to the window I looked outside and thought about the dreams I had had, if they were any indication as to what I needed to do, I needed to talk to Reiko.

The thing was, did I want to and would she talk to me?

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R&R PLEASE! 


	15. Panic Attack

"This is all that I have lived for. This is all that I have known." -Valjean from Les Miserable (the musical: I'm too lazy to read the book)

Reiocu- there are no gross icky things in this chapter

Gothic-ember- no prob, ask any question and I will try to answer it...I'm a bit of a know-it-all well REIKO WAKES UP!

Crazedcandie- yeah Reiko is also Hikari, Hikari is another form of Reiko, she took on this form when she ran away from the bad guys

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Fifteen

(Reiko)

Lying in bed I contemplated why these people wanted me to live. It was most likely because of some information I knew that they wanted. My whole body ached and I wanted more than anything to go to sleep and never wake up. There was no point to living, I had no family or friends, I couldn't use my energy or powers to do anything and I knew I would never be the same again. My mind had been shattered and pieced back together too many times and what was left was almost useless.

"Reiko, are you awake?" It was one of my 'saviors,' she seemed familiar but I couldn't be sure, I couldn't trust my memories any more. I knew Zinan hadn't gotten in my mind or broken me into telling him something but I myself might be making this up to try and feel better. "Can I talk to you for a little while?"

"Sure," I croaked this out and waited for her to begin her bombardment of questions. What happened? How could you let them catch you? What did you tell them? Why didn't you escape before then? Why? Who? What? When? Where? My mind was beginning to pound and she hadn't asked a single thing.

"Why did you befriend me as Hikari?" She asked and I found myself stumped. Who was Hikari? Was I Hikari? The name sounded familiar. Hi-car-ee. Hikari means light. I was Hikari once upon a time; I had had brown hair and called myself Hikari while I was on the run. While on the run I had stopped at a town to regroup in a safe house I had bought eons ago. Sea green hair and red eyes. Snow. Yuki…no that's a boy, she was a girl…Yukina. I had met someone named Yukina; she had wanted to be my friend. Thought I was lonely. She had no idea, no idea of what I was.

"Yukina?" I had to make sure it was her, I wasn't going to spill my guts to any random person and I didn't feel like opening my eyes and facing reality.

"Yes." She had the right voice, it had to be her, and no one could impersonate her.

"Cause you cared." I said this after a moment of thought. I had been in the park watching some little kids play and she had walked over and started talking to me. She wanted to know why I was so sad. Because of her I actually believed I could have a normal life. Be happy.

"Were you just pretending to be my friend?" This one threw me for a loop. Why was she asking me this? I thought that her of all people wouldn't ask me that. Did she think I was scum? Had she found out about my past? Did she not want me as well? Would there ever be anyone who wanted me? Would they ever stop demanding answers every time I did something? Why did I have to live? Why do I have to live this life?

"Were you?" I tossed this out hoping she would see how much it had hurt. You're not supposed to question friendship. There's supposed to be trust. But who could trust me? I was nothing. I never was anything to anyone. I come, I go, no one remembers. My own parents hadn't wanted me, my adoptive parents hadn't wanted me, my adoptive aunt and uncle hadn't wanted me. Was I the trash they said I was? If I died would anyone cry for me? Would I even have a headstone? My soul would be swallowed up by purgatory for all of my sins and I would be forgotten.

"No," she quietly answered and I felt some hope well up in me. "Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. You must be exhausted, I'll let you rest." With that I listened to her leave and knew that once again I was all alone. Alone. That one word described my whole life. Always alone. Left to take care of myself, fend for myself. No one protected me.

Slashing red eyes.

Black and white hair.

_He_ had saved me from the Pit. _He_ had taken care of me. _He_ hadn't questioned me. What was his name? The one who had helped when I said I didn't need help. He saw past my barriers. How? Strong. Quiet. A fighter. Hiei. That was his name. A warrior of great speed. He had conquered the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. The team he had been on won the Dark Tournament. I had been there. Watching in the crowd to see who won. Bui, the one he defeated in the last round. Big vs. Small. Four foot ten without his hair. Taller than me.

I hear someone enter the room; they aren't trying to hide their presence. Curiosity piques my interest so I slowly peel my eyes open to find myself staring up at a white ceiling. I am yet again conscious of my body and every inch of it hurts, from my toes to my lips. Blinking slowly I try to concentrate on listening to see who is in the room but my body isn't cooperating. Nothing wants to work, even breathing hurts. Slowly turning my head to the side I wince as the world begins to spin wildly and I am forced to close my eyes again. Once I know that the bile in my stomach is safely situated I crack my eyes open again to find myself looking out at a palate of many colored shapes that danced around yet at the same time remained stationary.

"You awake?" A rough masculine voice demands of me and the blood pumping through my vessels freezes and I start to find it hard to breathe. "Good." One of the blobs in my line of vision starts to move; it's black, white and peach colored. I deem it a living being, the one that's been speaking to me, male number one.

"So how are you feeling Reiko?" Someone else has entered the room; their voice is that of an older woman, this must be Genkai. She was on the Urameshi team, the one that Hiei had been on. I feel like I should know more about her but for some reason I can't grasp the knowledge that's just out of my reach.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I manage to force this out through my severely strained vocal chords. My mouth is so dry, poking my tongue out of my mouth I swipe it over my lips cringing as I discover my lower lip has been sewn together and touching it hurts.

"You are in the human world at my dojo, my name is Genkai." The person who came into the room informed me. I was right, brownie point for me. "How do you feel? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine but I need my contacts or glasses." I muttered this because my terrible sight has always been a sore spot with me.

"How long have you not had any visual aid?" Genkai asked me.

"I had my long term contacts in when I bound Zinan but now I don't have them." I try to shrug it off but I really wanted something because I wanted to be able to _see_. "They must have disintegrated with the release of energy."

"What is your vision?" Genkai questioned, "I can go out and get you a new pair."

"My glasses should be at my safe house in the drawer of my nightstand." I didn't want to be any more indebted to these people.

"Ok, are you hungry?"

"I guess I should eat something." I gritted my teeth as I dragged myself up into a sitting position causing every part of me to scream in agony.

"You shouldn't move," Genkai reprimanded me. "If you need anything one of us will help you."

"I need to go to the bathroom, like right now." I swung my legs off the edge of the bed, "Point me in the right direction and I'll bumble my way to it."

"There will be no 'bumbling' because it will make you worse," Genkai snapped. "Hiei, help her to the bathroom." Hiei? He was here? He was watching me in all my glory of weakness? The black, white and peach blur moved toward me and I began to panic. Yes, my savior he might be, but he was still a man, and it was men who had destroyed my life, it was men who had shaped me into this foul beast. Involuntarily I began to tremble, as my breathing became labored. Fear swamped me and everything started swimming as my heart rate tripled. Sweat beaded on my forehead.

"What's wrong with her?" Hiei's voice reached my ears and I fought to keep my composure but it wasn't working, with every panting breath I drew it cracked more and more already on the brink of shattering.

"Reiko?" Genkai laid a hand on my shoulder and I gave a shaky sob as I tried to fight this unreasonable panic that was taking hold of me.

"I-I-I'm f-fine." I stuttered as the edges of my vision began to darken.

"She's having a panic attack," Genkai told Hiei and a tide of humiliation swept over me, I hated being weak. "You need to breathe Reiko, I need you to breathe for me ok?"

"Am…breathing." I huffed out trying to regulate both my lungs and my heart but it wasn't working.

"YUKINA! Get me a paper bag!" Genkai bellowed to the girl as she pushed me down so my head hung in-between my legs.

"What's going on?" I heard her come in and abruptly a brown paper bag was clamped over my mouth and nose. They were trying to smother me! Quickly I ripped the bag away snarling at them. Did they think me stupid? Gasping even harder I felt my hold on this world slipping and I cried out not wanting to fall back into a sleep haunted by nightmares. I fought against the approaching hell but it was futile and I was claimed by the storm and dragged into the unconscious world.

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Please R&R 


	16. House Visit

I hope you all like this chapter!

Angelwings- thank you for reviewing and I'm very happy you liked it...sorry about the OC thing...heh heh...I like to make my own characters!

This chapter is dedicated to you! Angelwings

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Sixteen

(Keiko)

Walking into Genkai's dojo I called out for Yukina but she didn't come, I knew that they had a girl named Reiko staying with them because she was injured but I didn't know how bad.

"YUKINA! Get me a paper bag!" I heard Genkai yell from somewhere in the house so I followed her voice and found disaster area. A girl with white hair was collapsed on a bed with Yukina and Genkai standing over her as Hiei watched from the nearest windowsill.

"Is this a bad time?" I asked and they turned to look at me.

"No, actually it's the perfect time," Genkai informed me. "Can you and Yukina go to Reiko's place and get her glasses? They should be in the drawer of her nightstand, my guess is that without her glasses she's nearly blind."

"Sure, I don't mind, do you need anything else while I'm out?" I questioned.

"Some more bandages, antiseptics and pain relievers," Genkai added on to the list. "Reiko doesn't heal normally so we have to take the long route with her."

"Ok," I made a mental note and smiled at Yukina. "Let's go!" With a small bow to Genkai Yukina followed me out to the car and sat down in the passenger seat. "Is something wrong? You seem kind of quite Yukina."

"I don't know, it's just I'm not sure how to act around Reiko. We were friends when she was Hikari but is Hikari the same person as Reiko? I don't know and she's too ill to really understand what I mean or to answer any questions." Yukina sighed, "I'm so confused."

"Well when you look at it like that of course it's confusing," I told her as I navigated the streets. "What you need to think of is that when Reiko was on the run fearing for her life at every turn you were there for her as a friend. Maybe the person that you knew as Hikari isn't exactly who Reiko is but the thing is, is that Hikari _is _Reiko therefore the main parts are the same. Now which way to her house?"

"Down this road." Yukina pointed to the street and I pulled onto it, "That one's hers." Turning into the drive I unbuckled as did Yukina and we went into the house. Easily Yukina led us to Reiko's room where we found her glasses right where Genkai had told us they would be. Out of curiosity I put them on and was surprised at how bad Reiko's vision was, everything was magnified like a hundred times and almost instantly I began to develop a headache.

"Reiko's sight is awful!" I handed the glasses to Yukina who slipped them into her pocket. "Poor thing, she's almost blind!"

"She always said she had the same vision as a bat." Yukina relayed to me, "Why don't we grab some of her things so that she can feel more at home at Genkai's?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, what do you think she would want?" I looked around the pretty much Spartan house.

"Some clothes, her set of keys, her deck of playing cards, a few books…and whatever else I come up with." Yukina ticked the things off on her fingers as she listed them. We went over to her closet and opened it to find the smallest collection of clothes I have ever seen in my life. There was three pairs of jeans, two blue one black; seven tops of which five were black and there rest were dark colors; one pair of sneakers; two sweatshirts and one vest. Reaching out I pulled out a pair of jeans and found that they had been worn so much that there were rips and tears everywhere and it wasn't like they were made that way. Her shirts were all stained and the colors were off from what they were originally and the sweatshirts had holes in the cuffs.

"Wow…I say we skip bringing her, her wardrobe there is nothing wearable in here." I closed the door as Yukina agreed and we turned to the bookshelf in the corner where it was the opposite of her closet. The books were almost falling off the shelves due to the shear amount of them all.

"How are we to know which ones she likes?" Yukina wondered staring at the daunting challenge.

"Go for the ones that have creased spines and earmarked pages," I suggested because that was the usual way to know if someone liked the book. In the end after a lot of debate we settled on a few Julie Garwood books, some Christine Feehan, _Les Miserable_ by Victor Hugo, _The Phantom of the Opera_ and the graphic novel series called _FAKE_. After dumping those in the car we went back in and hunted down her set of keys and a deck of card and picked up on the way a small journal that we thought might be her diary and a hat that Yukina said was her favorite. In the store we picked up what Genkai wanted along with a few extra items for Reiko like some of her favorite foods, a couple magazines and thing of flowers.

"Thanks for helping Keiko," Yukina said on our way back to Genkai's. "I feel much better after talking to you."

"Good, I'm glad I was able to help." I smiled at her as we pulled into the compound and commenced hauling everything to the house. Once everything was in we went into Reiko's room and found her sitting up listening to what Genkai was saying.

"Reiko, you had a panic attack, which resulted in you hyperventilating. When you hyperventilate if you breathe into a brown paper lunch bag it regulates your breathing. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Reiko answered her gaze fixed on the opposite wall and not on Genkai.

"Do you know what triggered the attack?" Genkai prompted.

"Yes," Reiko responded but she didn't elaborate.

"Could you tell me?" Genkai was losing her patience and fast.

"What do you want with me? What do you want to know? If it has to do with Spirit World I'm not going to tell you anything. Why don't you just let me die? Life has no value anymore." Reiko didn't remove her eyes from the spot she was staring at.

"I don't want anything from you, I know all I need to know. The reason you are here is because Koenma wants you to get better and he thought you would heal better if you were here," Genkai informed her.

"Koenma's an asshole," Reiko stated. "All he wants me for is his precious missions." Hiei who was standing in the shadows snorted his approval.

"That may be, I don't know, all I know is that I am supposed to make sure you get better and Hiei is your protector until you are able to fend for yourself." Genkai folded her arms and stared at her, "So what caused the attack?"

"Hiei," Reiko revealed as she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Why are you scared of him? He hasn't done anything to you."

"I know that! He's the one who saved me from that hellhole! It's not like I can control it! All my brain computes is that he is a guy and I start flipping out! Do you think I like it?" Reiko snapped at her as she tensed up, yet still she made no eye contact whatsoever.

"I'm not accusing you of doing it on purpose, I'm trying to understand," Genkai returned in about the same tone.

"None of you could possibly understand." Reiko covered her face with her hands, "Just go away, leave me alone." Genkai stood up and left as we quietly came in and set her stuff down; we put her glasses next to her and left also closing the door behind us softly.

"Do think she'll be ok?" Yukina asked Genkai hesitantly.

"I don't know there are many factors involved in this than we know and it's not like we can go in her mind and fix the damage. She has a huge barrier around her psyche and to break through it with force would most probably kill her." Genkai shook her head, "She needs time, and she needs someone who she can talk to and who'll understand what's going on in her mind."

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I hope you enjoyed! R&R 


	17. Fresh Air

Hey y'all, here's your new chapter! I am proud to present a Hiei/Reiko moment! Yea!

Gothic-ember- glad you liked it!

Reiocu- I forgive you but please keep it up with the updates I like to know if people like what I'm writing

xXDaRkNeSs RoSeInEsSxX - I hope you continue to read into this and enjoy!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Seventeen

(Hiei)

It was several weeks later and Reiko was still having frequent panic attacks, refusing to talk to anyone and not eating properly. Genkai was incensed with her because she had withdrawn from any form of contact and her wounds were not showing any sign of really healing. Yukina was almost positive that Reiko wasn't getting better because she was there and I was just sick of having to deal with all these emotional females. Day in and day out all that Reiko would do was stare at a spot on the wall or sleep and when she slept she would wake up drenched in sweat from nightmares.

Right now it was about midnight and I was wandering around the house sick of being confined to Reiko's room while she just slept. It had rained yesterday so everything was wet outside and it seemed to glimmer in the light of the full moon. Hearing a noise from Yukina's room I slipped in to find her tossing and turning in her sleep. Placing my hand on her forehead I entered her thoughts and found she was dreaming about what that scumbag had done to her when he had locked her up. Deftly I conjured an image of myself and had it stop them and take her away without killing anyone because I knew how much she hated death.

Pulling out I found her smiling slightly as she relaxed and went on to more peaceful dreams. Exiting the room I headed for Reiko's quarters to make sure she wasn't trying to off herself or something. When I entered her room I found her standing in front of the biggest window in her chamber looking out at the night. She was wearing a pair of baggy black sweatpants and a large black zip-up hooded sweatshirt that at certain angles made her appear like she was (rail thin) or made her look chubby. Her right hand was pressed against the glass making the fact that her middle finger was crooked more visible. Sighing softly she turned around and came face to face with me.

"Why are you out of bed?" I growled I was getting sick of Genkai yelling at me for her wounds not healing fast enough. It only took me a moment to recognize her deer in the headlights look. Her eyes widened and she took a step back so the small of her back hit the sill of the window. Fear flashed through her eyes as her breath hitched and she began the all too familiar cycle of a panic attack. Her whole body trembled and I could see her pulse fluttering at, at least twice its normal speed on the column of her throat. Irritation mixed with sympathy and pity filled me as she began to hyperventilate and sweat beaded on her forehead.

I had two options; I could deal with this myself or go and get Genkai. Dealing with it myself was a daunting thing because I'd probably end up throttling her due to her reaction to me. If I got Genkai, Reiko would never learn to trust me or figure out at least I wasn't going to kill her for being out of bed. Deciding on the first choice I pulled a brown paper bag from the back pocket of my pants, I kept one on hand incase something like this happened. With practiced ease I grabbed her shoulder and pressed her down into a sitting position and pushed her head down in-between her legs. With a snap I opened the lunch bag and clamped it over her mouth and nose.

Anticipating her next move, which would be to rip the bag away, I intercepted her hands and grabbed both of her wrists in one hand. Immediately she started struggling and whimpering, which informed me that I was scaring her shitless. Releasing her hands I was instantly hit with a closed fist and then an open hand. Gritting my teeth I concentrated on making sure the bag remained over her airways so her breathing would slow down. Much to my surprise I noticed she was breathing more regularly than before but the downside was she was hitting harder. One of her fists glanced off my Jagan eye and I fell to the floor gasping in pain as I was momentarily incapacitated.

"How…dare…you!" she huffed out trying to catch her breath. Lying there I ticked off the many different ways I could kill her right here and now. I could suffocate her with her pillow, choke her to death, break her neck, bash her head in, fry her or rip her heart out.

"If you applied as much energy to overcoming your fears as you did to bludgeoning me to death you'd be cured," I commented sarcastically.

"It's not like they're rational!" she snapped and I glanced at her to see her usually lifeless eyes were blazing with anger. "If it were up to me and I had the necessary tools I'd-"

"What? Kill me?" I demanded and watched her flush a deeper shade of red in her anger. "I'm your 'protector.' I'm the only thing that's keeping the bad guys off your skinny little ass."

"I never asked for a protector," she hissed shoving her glasses further up on her nose.

"Do you think I want to waste my time on a spoiled little princess?" I raised an eyebrow at her as I sat up.

"I am not a spoiled little princess, if I was I'd have guards who'd execute you for touching me," she replied glaring at me.

"I think your head isn't screwed on right," I informed her.

"I think-" she began

"For once," I interrupted. "Now shut up and go to bed." I stood and watched her fight to get up and go over to her bed. I knew she was still injured and that she hurt a lot so I picked her up and brought her over to the bed and set her down. "Think about this question tonight and every other night and day of your life: Do you want them to win? Because if you keep letting what they did to you control you then they have won."

(time elapse)

The next day she was back to silence but there was something different about her, in the way she held herself and she seemed to actually be in the same reality of everyone else. Instead of pushing at her food she ate most of what was given to her, she picked up one of the books that Yukina and Keiko had brought her and read through it lingering over certain parts. She still had panic attacks but not as many and none of them were sparked by me to my surprise. At times when I walked into the room all she noticed was that I was a guy she would flinch but then pull her self back together. It was rather amazing that just yelling at her had elicited such a drastic change. If all she needed was a challenge to focus on that wasn't hard to do, to give her.

Something that was very new was that at random moments she would cry out and grab her head muttering in an unknown language. Genkai told me that she believed them to be Reiko remembering things from her time at the Palace of the Doomed and trying to cope with them. During those spaces of time where she was fighting with herself she would shed many tears and rock back and forth. Nothing could pull her from these periods of reverie as her past was flaunted to her behind her closed lids. Most nights I would find her sitting at the window staring outside as if she was trying to escape from both her dreams and the house. It was easy to understand why she would be getting cagey she had been in this place for a little over a month and a half and had yet to breathe fresh air. She might not be locked in a pit filled with slime and bugs but she was still confined to about two rooms; it was only one step up on the ladder.

Entering her room I walked over to her, she was reading a ningen book with her glasses pushed up on top of her head. Without bothering to warn her I snatched the book away and placed it on the floor in such a way that she wouldn't lose her place. For a minute or two Reiko sat there with a hand splayed over the base of her throat trying to keep her breathing normal. When she was done and about to open her mouth to say something I threw the jacket I had been holding into her face. Instantly she ripped it off her face and looked at it and then at me her eyes full of questions.

"Put it on," I commanded and watched her shrug her shoulders and slip it on. It was a little baggy on her but that was to be expected, she was a stick and it was Shizuru's. With ease I picked her up and she squeaked before wrapping her arms around me in a death lock and going as stiff as a board.

"Would you mind not trying to choke the life out of me? I'm not going to drop you but if you continue to cut off my air passage I'll collapse and take you with me." Quite quickly her grip loosened but she still remained tense and her back ramrod straight, it was an improvement so I didn't complain.

"Where are we going?" Reiko whispered and I glanced down at her face to find her extremely expressive eyes wide with not really fear but edginess and nervousness.

"Where do you think?" I answered her question with a question to try and get her to not be so anxious.

"I don't know." She relaxed her body and buried her face in the crook of my neck, for some reason this action caused something in me to melt a little. She was so helpless and there was really nothing she could do about it. Coming to the door I opened it and stepped outside into the fresh early summer air. A light breeze was blowing, it teased our hair and caressed our faces. Carefully I set her down on the soft green grass and stepped back to observe her reaction.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back exposing her throat as she absorbed the feeling of being outside. Inhaling deeply she took in a lungful of the pure untainted air and savored it. The sun lit up her skin revealing how pale it was making her look wraith like almost. Birds sang as the wind whispered and the foliage swayed gently in rhythm with it all. A new sound blended with it, the sound of Reiko's laughter. It was deep and throaty, it relayed the intense joy she was feeling just sitting in the sun for the first time in almost six months.

"As the third sun sets and the first moon rises,

Understanding comes with it.

The trees and wind whisper:

To know our secrets is to know you,

Until you accept every part of your being,

You cannot truly comprehend.

Open your heart and soul,

Believe in love and have hope.

Once you can do this,

You hold the key of happiness." She then opened her eyes and smiled at me this soft, small smile as thanks for taking her out here as she continued to hum the tune. When she was done she turned back to me her eyes glittering with tears of happiness. Slowly she lifted her arm up and held her hand out to me.

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow as I took her hand.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked her voice barely above a murmur.

"What?" I tightened my grip on her hand as I prepared to pull her up into a standing position.

"I want to stand up and twirl around but I don't want to damage my feet any more then they already are, could you…" she blushed bright red from what I guessed was embarrassment. "I feel so stupid…could you…spin me around?" She ducked her head immediately as I tried to comprehend what she wanted, she wanted me to pick her up and spin her around. Why the hell would she want that? "Never mind, it was a stupid request…" Even though she said that I could tell she really wanted to be whirled around.

Without much effort I pulled her up and contemplated how to do this, the best hold would be to wrap my arms around her right under her armpits. Then I would lean back slightly and rotate very fast. In one smooth movement I positioned my arms in the aforementioned position and began spinning around. There was one breathless moment when I thought she might panic but instead she grabbed on to me and laughed for the second time that day. Happiness made her glow and she seemed content, almost normal.

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I hope you enjoyed and please read and review! 


	18. Memories

Here you go...next chapter. Just to let you all know this one is dealing with Reiko and how she's faring and how she's getting through her issues and healing. Of course Hiei is very important in this. Oh and by the way...

I'M ON VACATION! LOT'S OF WRITING TIME!(for a week)

xXDaRkNeSs RoSeInEsSxX - here's the update...hope you like

Crazedcandie- I forgive you, but you better keep on reviewing! I'm glad you like how Reiko is doing, I try to keep her on her toes...hee hee

Gothic-ember- I'm glad you thought it was kawaii, that's what I was aiming for. I looooved the end! I had so much fun writing that!

Chapter Eighteen

(Reiko)

"Reiko!" Looking up from my book I found Yukina and Shizuru standing in the doorway of my room a wheelchair in tow. "We're going to take you to the mall so you can get some new clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I motioned to my baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, they were old and well worn but they were comfy.

"You look like a bag lady," Shizuru told me, honest to the bone.

"It'll be fun!" Yukina beamed at me and I got the feeling that this had been her idea all along, down to the wheelchair.

"I need my wallet," I stated swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "I won't let you guys pay for everything."

"Got it," Yukina sang holding it up. "I knew you'd want it." Nodding slowly I waited for them to wheel my ride over so I could get into it. I didn't particularly enjoy the idea of being dependent on these two for the rest of the day but I guess I would have to deal with it. I was still not supposed to walk around a lot because my feet and the rest of me was still getting better. Genkai and Yukina, three times a week would force their healing powers on my body. It was exhausting to them and me; my body didn't want to heal so healing was draining work even if they did most of the work.

"Ok Hiei, come and get her!" Shizuru smiled at the look of confusion on my face, "There's no way we could haul your butt down all those stairs in a wheelchair, that's why we've enlisted Hiei." Hiei came in my jacket in hand just like he always did when he was coming in to take me out for our time outside. Silently I slipped into the light coat and held my arms out knowing what was going to happen next. Carefully and effortlessly my protector lifted me up and headed out of the house. Once I was safely in the back if Shizuru's car and buckled in Hiei closed the door and was about to leave Shizuru spoke up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hiei looked at her quizzically, "You are the girl's protector, therefore you have to go everywhere with her. Get in the car." Rolling his eyes Hiei got into the car taking the seat next to me in the back. Yukina and Shizuru were sitting in the front; they turned on music and commenced planning where they were going to take us. About twenty minutes later I was taken out of the car, placed in my wheelchair and pushed into the mall. It was exactly ten when we went through the doors. Instantly they zeroed in on one of the biggest department stores in the place.

"What size are you Reiko?" Yukina asked as she checked out the size on a cutsy little top.

"Umm, Hiei, can you check the tag on my sweatshirt?" I obligingly bent my head forward so he could have access to it.

"We don't want that!" Shizuru broke in. "That thing is obviously waaay too big, try for a size two maybe."

"Actually if you want it to fit halfway decently you'd want to get a size zero," I told them smiling sweetly.

"Thank you!" Yukina then began pulling things off the rack left and right along with Shizuru. Long sleeved, short sleeved, no sleeved, pants, skirts, shorts and skorts all were piled on me. Never did they ask me what I thought, they asked Hiei, the saleslady and each other but never me. Finally we reached the dressing rooms and I had tons of clothes to try on and it was decided that both of them would help me switch around the outfits.

"What do you want to try on first?" Yukina questioned.

"I don't even know what you picked out!" I exclaimed eyeing the pile.

"Well than how about this one?" I was presented with a pair of ripped blue jeans, a red tube top and a thick brown belt with a metal butterfly buckle.

"Or this one!" A frilly pink dress was held up a pair of heels included.

"That one!" I pointed to the jeans even though I didn't want anything that showed my scars it was much better than the dress. There was no way I was getting a dress and skirts were completely out of the picture. A small struggle ensued as they got me out of the clothes I was wearing and into the new outfit.

"What do you think?" Shizuru demanded and I could tell from her possessive tone that she had picked it out. The shirt clung to my small frame accenting what little curves I had and the jeans were the same way, it looked nice but it showed a lot of my scars. Opening my mouth to tell them that I didn't quite know, Shizuru cut me off by throwing open the door and yelling for Hiei to: "Shag your duff over here!" He walked in a bored look on his face.

"Are you done yet?" He demanded before I was toted out for his inspection.

"Do you like it?" Yukina asked and he scrutinized me carefully from head to toe taking in how I looked.

"It needs a good pair of shoes but other than that it's fine." He then walked out and I felt as if I had been betrayed, was he in on this? Was he having fun watching me be dressed up and displayed like a Barbie? Life was so unfair! I had no allies!

One and a Half Hours and 300 Dollars Later

Hiei had been sent to the car with all the clothes from that store while they ushered me into another clothes store because now they knew what my taste was. They knew I didn't want any skirts; I didn't want any heels, no short shorts and no make-up. I don't know if they were ignoring me or were just deaf but they didn't listen to my opinions on colors. It might have to do with the fact that I preferred dark colors like black and they were picking up things like pink, light blue, pastel greens and crap like that. I tried to explain to them that I utterly detested any type of pastel but yet again they ignored me. By the time Hiei had arrived I was being crammed into outfit after outfit and paraded before the saleslady and half the store. Everything I said yes to they said no and vice versa, it sucked.

In that store I burned about two hundred bucks before being moved on to a cheesy accessory store. Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, ear cuffs and rings were what we bought, I liked the ear cuffs and they actually allowed me to spend my money the way I wanted to, sort of. Next I was dragged to a shoe store where we bought a pair of comfortable sneakers, clogs and boots, no heels. Hiei had to make multiple trips to the car so we weren't too weighed down.

At two o-clock Shizuru bought us lunch at a nice American style sit down restaurant. Hiei had a steak with mashed potatoes, a beer (which Shizuru had to order because the waiter didn't think he was old enough) and some beans, which he didn't eat; Yukina had the salad bar with a milkshake; Shizuru had a seafood platter with a soda and I had the chicken finger platter with an extra order of French fries. Shizuru and Yukina talked to me and tried to get me to talk but I was exhausted from being carted from one store to the next. Being surrounded by so many people was starting to wear on me and I was having trouble concentrating on anything.

"What's wrong?" Hiei asked and I looked at him startled at the fact that he understood what was going on.

"It's just so crowded." I shrugged and smiled at him weakly before turning to my half-empty plate and began to push around my leftover food.

"Reiko and I are going outside for a breath of fresh air," Hiei informed Shizuru and Yukina before he stood up and drained his beer. Setting down my fork I pulled the lever that released the brake and Hiei navigated me outside into the parking lot where I could away from it all. Once outside I was given reign of my chair so I wheeled over to a secluded spot where there was a bench for Hiei to sit on.

"Thank you so much," I breathed out massaging my head. "It was getting to be too much."

"Don't worry about it." Hiei sat down on the bench and we stayed there in a companionable silence but all that was in me tainted it. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to tell someone but no one would understand. A few times I opened my mouth to say something but it never came out. All too soon he stood up and I followed him back to the restaurant where we met back up with the other two.

"What do you want to do now? There's a good bookstore just over there," Shizuru suggested pointing at it and I agreed. I needed to catch up on my reading. A little while later we left and went back to Genkai's where I retreated to my bed and curled up under my covers. I needed sleep; I needed to recuperate from crawling out of my safety boundaries. No one bothered me and I slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

"_Mommy?" I walked into the house, it was to quiet, someone should be home. Pulling off my coat I ventured further into the house looking for any signs of my mother or father. Alcohol bottle littered the floor from last night's drinking binge, the one that had given me my black eye. The clock in the hall was ticking loudly, much too loudly. Something was wrong. Then it hit me._

_The stench of blood._

_It invaded all of my senses working deep to implant itself in my memory. Turning the corner I found myself in the doorway of the kitchen my parents corpses in front of me. Brains and blood painted the room interesting colors. Bile rose up and I hit the ground and puked up my lunch._

_My stomach heaved as I brought up what little I had eaten before my drinking binge to try and rid myself of the memories. It never worked. Never. I was the best in my class at everything. Math, drinking, English, getting bloodied up, history, carving up my body and the list went on. Aki and Akio were worse then my parents. I wasn't theirs so why would they care about me? Nothing I did was good enough. _

"_You are nothing!" It was Hiroshi, his grey eyes blazed at me as he advanced toward me. I couldn't let him hurt me and my baby. Groping around me for anything to protect myself my hands landed on the knife on the counter behind me. As he raised his fist to strike me I reacted burying the knife deep in his heart._

"_Momma!" Jomei screamed I could barely see him in the water._

"_Hold on!" I flung myself into the fast river and swam hard for my son, my only reason for living. I reached him easily and caught hold of him. Someone was at the edge of the river reaching out for me. I handed them Jomei but as I grasped for their hand I missed and was swept away over the waterfall to my death._

_I was covered in bugs; they were crawling all over me. Slipping into every pore. Climbing down my throat. Under my skin. Screams were ripped from me. Glass shoved into my feet. Snapping bones. Fists connecting with flesh. The crack of a whip. Poisons searing through me. I was suffocating on bugs. Biting me. Eating me alive. _

"HIEI!" I yelled jerking up and frantically scraping at the bugs creeping over my body. They had infested my bed. No where was safe. Coughing hard I tried to expel them from me. Ripping at my skin I struggled to get them out of me. "GET THEM OFF!"

"Reiko! Reiko, stop!" Someone was trying to stop me. They were holding me down. Inhaling sharply I caught the scent of Hiei. It was my protector. He would save me.

"They're all over me! Get them off!" I fought to regain possession of my arms so I could rid myself of these horrible things.

"Do you trust me?" He asked and I nodded squirming due to the bugs all over me. I was lifted and carried over somewhere. Hiei set me down and pulled off my t-shirt that was crawling with the nasty critters. Strong confident hands brushed the insects off of me and untangled them from my hair. A new fresh shirt was pulled on over my head to cover me up while my tainted pants were taken off and then the remaining bugs were removed. Hiei helped me into a new pair of pj bottoms and then lifted me up to take me back to my bed.

"I don't want to go back to bed," I whimpered burrowing closer to him. "I can't escape them when I'm asleep!"

"You can't escape what?" Hiei asked stopping.

"The memories."

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There ya go! You all better update! I might be mean and not post if I don't get five reviews! You never know so ya'll better review! beware of my insanity! 


	19. Spill Your Guts

Here is the next chapter...this is all about Reiko's past so I suggest all of you take deep breaths and brace yourself...it's intense.

xXDaRkNeSs RoSeInEsSxX - is that a good thing or a bad thing? Just a little nervous...

Gothic-ember- I know how you feel, my poor OC! The clothes thing was supposed to be a humorous thing, glad you liked it! Here is your update!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Nineteen

(Hiei)

Standing in the middle of the room I was at a loss as to what to do, Reiko was scared to go to bed and I couldn't stand in the middle of her room all night. When she had woken up screaming I had instantly gone to her side. It had taken a moment for me to realize that she had called for _me_ and not anyone else. She was still shaking from the toll that the dreams had taken on her. Contemplating my options I decided on the one that had the highest chance of making her feel better. Walking over to the closet I pulled out her new black jean jacket and headed outside. As soon as Reiko breathed in the fresh air she relaxed fully against me. Carefully I set her down on the porch swing that Yukina had talked Genkai into getting and joined her.

"Thank you," she whispered leaning her head on my shoulder. We sat like that for a while and I was a bit surprised by the fact that she wasn't scared or at least wary of me.

"Hiei," she murmured tugging on my cloak to get my attention.

"Hm?" I looked down at her expecting her to be looking up at me but she was staring at her hands.

"Do you think I'm tainted?" The question was so out of the blue that it threw me. What did she mean? Tainted? By what?

"What do you mean?" I asked not taking my eyes off of her.

"I feel like no matter what, that I can't escape from my past. From what they did to me. All the people I've killed." Reiko kept her voice very quiet but I could tell what she was saying was important.

"Everyone has a past," I said the only thing I could think of. "Most people are trying to run from it or forget it."

"I just want it to leave me alone. My past is what has trapped me; it's why I can't move on. All I want to do is tell someone but I'm afraid that no one will understand. No one will care." She wanted to tell me about her past. She didn't want to tell it to someone who she thought didn't care. She trusted me. She was hoping that I would listen to her. Help her like Kurama and Yusuke had helped me.

"Do you want to tell me?" I posed this question praying that it was the right one and it wouldn't alienate her.

"Yes…I want to tell you but…" she trailed off and took a deep breath. "But I don't want you to fond me repulsive afterwards."

"I don't think I could find you repulsive, I've seen some of the hell you went through. None of it was your fault." I spoke the truth when I said that, she was someone to admire for surviving what she had.

"My name's not Reiko," she started. "My real name is Sumiko, I've never told anyone else that. My parents didn't want me, they cast me aside, abandoned me. Midori and Taro, they are my parents. They have no clue I exist, I have given them no reason to think me their child. I was adopted by two humans and I grew up thinking they were my real parents and that I was human." She shivered slightly and I remembered the jacket I had brought with me and helped her into it. "My adopted father Goro was a drunk, every night he came home stinking drunk or got drunk at home. He always beat my mother and I, when I was seven he told me I wasn't his or my mother's and I never would be. It hurt so much because I lost my identity; I no longer knew who I was. When I was thirteen my mother blew my Goro's brains out before doing the same to herself. I was shuffled off to my Aunt Aki and Uncle Akio." She paused a moment to toy with her jacket sleeves, "It was a living hell, Akio did drugs, Aki hated me because I was so different with my hair and my eyes. Their son Yokio was the worst; one night he and his gang raped me when I was only fourteen years old. Goro had beaten the shit out of me but he had never touched me in any other way. I tried to find out of it so I took up drinking like my adoptive father. It took twice as much alcohol to get me trashed than it did to knock a guy twice my size out.

"When I was eighteen I ran away and got tangled up in a horrible relationship with this guy Hiroshi. I thought he loved me for who I was even though he smacked me around…I got pregnant. He was so mad at me, he came at me and I knew in that moment that if I didn't stop him he'd kill me and my child. I killed him with one clean stab to the heart. I watched him die and I felt nothing. No remorse, horror, fear, relief…nothing. I cleaned up and sixth months later I had Jomei, a beautiful little boy, he had his father's black hair and my bright copper eyes.

"About five years later we were picnicking and he fell into the nearby river. I panicked; I didn't know what to do. I flung myself into the river and was able to save him but I died. I went over a huge waterfall and that was that. I met Koenma and he saw that I "potential" so he recruited and I got to be with my son again. But nothing that's good ever lasts. Jomei got leukemia and died before he was twenty. I threw myself into my work and never looked back except in dreams." Reiko glanced up at me before averting her eyes and continuing. "The last assignment I took was to get the information on how to turn dream apparitions like myself into nightmare apparitions. The man who knew died and told me what to do with his dying breath. Zinan had by then figured out that I was a Spirit Detective and to boot I knew the one thing that he wanted to know above anything else.

"Before I could tell anyone at Spirit World I was forced into hiding from everyone and everything. Unfortunately Zinan found me first and I was taken to his stronghold. Every method of torture was used on me over and over again. They beat me, injected poisons and gave me the antidote mere seconds before I would be dead. Whips, the rack, The Pit. It was hell on earth. There was nothing he didn't do. Slivers of glass shoved under the skin of my feet, fingernails and toenails peeled off, broken bones, Chinese water torture. He liked to just talk to me and tell me what he was going to do to me and how. It was fun to him. He enjoyed it. He never learned a thing but I learned everything. How to kill him, to get him to talk and how to escape but I never got the chance. These things around my wrists can come off under only three conditions my doll is found and they are removed from that, Zinan dies and the last one only he knows." I knew she was done, through the whole thing she hadn't looked at me once. Reaching out I placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face so she would look me in the eyes.

"You're a very strong person, not many would have been able to survive that." I told her and tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at me.

"You don't think I'm tainted?" There was hope shinning in her eyes, something that could so easily be crushed.

"No." All it took was that one word and she collapsed into my arms and sobbed long and hard. She drained the poison from her body. She released all the emotions she had never let out before. After a while when all of her tears had been shed she fell asleep in my arms. Deciding it best not to move her too much I positioned her into a more comfortable position…but I couldn't bring myself to move her from my arms.

(Yukina)

Stretching languidly in my bed I stood up and got dressed humming to myself; it was a beautiful day. The sun was barely over the horizon as I made my way downstairs my thoughts centered on a nice walk and some crisp morning air. As I passed by Reiko's room I peeked in and found her bed empty and her clothes on the floor. Perplexed I stepped in and looked around for Hiei who was supposed to be watching her, he was nowhere to be seen. Thinking hard I went downstairs and silently stepped out onto the porch thinking that the two of them might be in the garden.

Hearing a soft sighing noise I turned to my left and found what I had been searching for. Hiei was sitting on the porch swing his legs stretched out along the length of it with Reiko curled up on top of him her face in the crook of his neck. It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen in my life. Both of them were asleep and they both looked so perfect. Smiling to myself I slipped back into the house a most devious plan forming in my mind but to put it in action I would need a little help.

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R&R! 


	20. A Little Chat & Happy Bday

Wow, it's like a landmarkor something! And what do I have to show for it? Not much...only two reviews! I was hoping for a few more but my two reviewers are profusely thanked for reviewing me!

EyeoftheTigerKissoftheDragon- I like your name and thank you for reviewing! Here is the chapter!

Gothic-ember- I know...Reiko did have a pretty awful past but it explains why she is how she is...you wanted to know what Yukina was planning? Well let me give you a hint...you get a hint of it in this chapter it has to do with playing matchmaker...

EyeoftheTigerKissoftheDragon & Gothic-ember I dedicate this lovely chapter to you two!

Chapter Twenty

(Reiko)

Sitting in the living area of Genkai's house I waited for Koenma to come, he had questions for me to answer and Genkai didn't want me to travel. It was a few weeks after I had told everything to Hiei, that had been extremely difficult and I trusted him with my whole heart. How hard would it be to tell someone who I really didn't like? I was able to tolerate Koenma just barely when I was normal, who knew how I would act now? Just waiting for him was awful.

"You ok?" I glanced to my right and saw Yukina looking at me with sympathy. Swallowing hard I nodded and began to play with my bandages as I fought hysteria. Where was he? Why did I have to talk to him? Why was I so nervous?

"Focus on something else," Hiei told me placing his hand on my shoulder. It was amazing how just physical contact with him soothed me so much.

"Like what?" I demanded unconsciously reaching up to touch his hand and make sure it was there.

"Like how much you hate the outfit you're wearing," Hiei suggested plucking at my shirt with his other hand. "If I remember correctly you particularly detested this outfit." Looking down I shuddered, how had I not noticed? I was in a pair of white pants that hugged my skinny frame and flared out slightly at the bottom; a pale pink tank top with a collar and a tiny butterfly embroidered on the left side of the shirt; a pair of tan sandals and a bucket hat that has been dubbed "cute" too many times. Not only was it in very light colors but it also showed tons of scars!

"How could you let them put me in this?" I growled scowling down at the outfit.

"I was kicked out during the dressing part," Hiei informed me removing his hand. "It was deemed that me staying in there would be an insult to the whole female populace. Though I almost had the right price for Shizuru, Yukina refused to give in." It took a moment but it finally clicked that he was making a joke.

"So not funny," I muttered. "I don't want to die in _pink_." I hissed out the loathed color between my teeth.

"But it becomes you so well," Hiei retreated to the far corner of the room as he made this statement. At first I thought it was because he didn't want me to kill him but then the door opened and Koenma stepped in. Instantly I broke out into a cold sweat as my senses began screaming: MAN!

"Hello, Reiko," he greeted me pleasantly and I forced a pained smile at him as I tamped down on my newly ingrained survival instincts. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I murmured swallowing hard as I slid my hands under my thighs and clenched them in the material of my pants tightening my muscles so the trembling that was overtaking me wouldn't show that easily.

"I have only a few questions, that's it, ok?" Koenma sat down across from me as Yukina slipped out the door to give us more privacy but thankfully Hiei stayed. I could always count on him.

"Mmm-hmm," I nodded concentrating on keeping my breathing normal and regulated so that he couldn't see my fear.

"Did Zinan get the information from you?" My temper rose, which did nothing to help my racing heart. _I can see flames burning in your eyes._ Starting I whipped my head around trying to find who was talking to me. How had they gotten past my barriers? _I know my way around people's minds…you might want to answer Koenma; he's looking at you like he's worried about your sanity._ It was Hiei. I was stumped and I sat there stunned for a moment.

"What do you think?" I had meant for this to come out harsh and angry but instead it sounded distracted and halfhearted. "Of course he didn't get anything from me." Hiei chuckled in my mind and I twitched a little still not used to someone in my mind after such a long time.

"How did he get you?" Koenma was asking all the questions I didn't want to think about. Quietly I wracked my brain; there was no way he could have possibly known where I was yet somehow he had known. It was possible one of his men had been a psychic but then my barriers had been up completely I had been on total block, no one could have gotten me that way. I had masked my energy; Yukina hadn't known I was a Spirit Detective at the time so they couldn't have pulled it from her. No one at Spirit World had known where I was so it couldn't have been a mole; it must have been…wait.

"How many of my safe houses do you have on file?" I questioned.

"We only have one, the one that's…oh," Koenma's eyes got big as he realized what I was saying.

"You have a mole," I informed him even though it wasn't necessary.

"I have only one more question left and I'm sorry to have to ask you this but how does one change Dream apparitions into Nightmare apparitions?" Koenma stared me straight in the eyes as if he thought he could will it from me.

"That is something that will go with me to the grave," I was dead serious and I knew he wouldn't be happy. "In order to protect all my fellow Dream apparitions I refuse to tell you. I destroyed the machine that would do it along with the blueprints and the only other person who knew is pushing up daisies."

"Reiko…" Koenma growled but I wasn't intimidated, this was one thing I would never give in on.

"No Koenma, I will not tell you. I think you have a bigger problem with finding the mole in your system. You don't want to lose any detectives…they're hard to come by." I smirked at him as he cursed and disappeared headed no doubt to Spirit World to see about the mole. Sighing I sank backwards into the couch, I wouldn't be able to dodge Koenma forever. I wanted out, this wasn't my life any more, I had served him for most of my life and now I wanted out.

"How are you feeling?" Genkai came in and I looked at her wearily.

"Not too hot," I rubbed my arm where a particularly noticeable scar was.

"Well, we're almost done with you, you're almost healed," she said this so nonchalantly that it threw me.

"Really?" I scanned myself and saw that what she said was true, all that was left to be taken care of were my feet and they were almost done healing by themselves.

"Yes, Yukina is going out tomorrow night with Shizuru and Keiko and I'm going out to handle some things. Since it's your birthday tomorrow Yukina rented you and Hiei some videos to watch and bought you an ice cream cake." Tomorrow was my birthday? Throwing my brain into overdrive I did the calculations and figured out that today was July 26th, which meant…tomorrow was my birthday.

"How did you know?" I was shocked; no one had ever cared when my birthday was. No one.

"Well, Zinan's not the only one with a mole in Spirit World." Genkai grinned and I felt myself becoming overwhelmed, someone had cared enough to find out when my birthday was.

"Th-thank you," I covered my mouth with my hand.

(time elapse)

That night Hiei was gone and I was left all by myself; I sat in the window of my room, missing him, I fell asleep watching shooting stars. I was awoken by Yukina the next day. She was surprised to find me not in bed, but she wished me happy birthday and told me her and Genkai's first gift would be to heal my feet so I could get around on my own. It would have been a wonderful gift if I didn't know that it would drain me for the day. Following proper etiquette, I smiled warmly and thanked her my mine on where Hiei was.

"Leiko, could you please come in here?" A woman with long white hair that shimmered many different colors came in.

"Hello Reiko, I am Leiko. I too was in the Palace of the Doomed," she informed me softly as she swept over to me. Her eyes were a deep endless purple that didn't reflect any light whatsoever.

"Hello," I replied watching her carefully as she came to sit on the chair next to the window. She had this aura of being untouchable around her, like she was royalty or something. I had the feeling that I should be extremely polite and on my best behavior around her.

"I am a very rare kind of apparition called a time apparition, I can manipulate time around objects as small as a molecule or as big as the universe. Yukina contacted me to see if I could possible speed up time around your wounds only and heal them." Leiko's voice was a beautiful tinkling of sounds. I realized that I had been right, she was someone to respect, most time apparitions didn't survive because the burden of their power was to much. The power to skip from time period to time period and not age but there was usually nothing they could ever do about what they saw."There are no side effects of this to your body, it is merely just me speeding up the process, will you allow me to do this?"

"Of course, if you are willing, I would love to be able to walk again." I held out one of my feet and Leiko grasped it in her hands and a pale purple haze gathered around it. Her lips moved as she chanted something I could not hear, it was strange because I couldn't feel my foot at all while she was holding it. When she was done with that foot she did the same thing to my other foot.

"As a piece of parting wisdom I offer you this to think on and to always keep in your mind: the path of the future is always uncertain and is as malleable as you make it. If someone tells you that you will die and you believe it and live your life around that one prediction you will die but if you do not let it affect you it may not come true. A teller of what is to come makes their predictions by assuming you will stay as you are then but if you change and do not allow others to control who you are the prediction will not come true." Leiko never took her eyes off me as she said this and I was drawn deep into what she was saying, I didn't even notice the man who had entered the room until he spoke.

"What she means to say is happy birthday and I hope you have a nice life," an amused male voice translated and I looked up to see one of the men who had been there, fighting Zinan. His name eluded me.

"This is my fiancé Drake," Leiko introduced him and he nodded at me as he extracted a small wrapped package from his pocket.

"You were so excited to go and help the heroine you left the present behind." He held it out to her as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh! Oops! I forgot about that! But that's why I have you!" She took the present and in turn handed it to me. "Happy birthday from Drake and me!" Knowing that everyone was watching me I carefully removed the bright paper covering the thing. When I was done I found a beautiful box that was made out of silver with many jewels and intricate designs covering it. Upon opening it I found a set of Egyptian Tarot cards, that I knew were brand new just from how they looked.

"Sayo, my twin made the box," Drake told me. "She's an amazing smith, she can make anything. The cards were Leiko's idea."

"See, I'm not completely useless!" Leiko smiled at us and in that action I was able to take her off the pedestal I had instantly put her on and realize she was just like me. "How is Akiko doing?"

"'Kiko's doing fine, Oki and her matchmaking ploys are working wonders for her and that guy…Chai I believe his name is." Drake told her and I vaguely recalled Zinan once mentioning a girl named Akiko, he had said she could read the future and would bring his victory to him.

"We have to be going now! Oki is expecting us and if we keep her waiting you'll get in trouble," Leiko said as she stood up. "It's so cute how she always blames you and never me."

"Cute? It's damn annoying!" Drake growled as he nodded his farewell to me and followed Leiko out of the room. Smiling I hopped off the windowsill and wondered at the fact that there was no pain. Looking at Yukina who was glowing with happiness I felt it seeping into me and I twirled around to show her how great I was feeling.

"Here's your next gift," Shizuru announced walked in carrying a big box wrapped up in paper that had penguins all over it and 'happy birthday' in multiple languages. Taking it from her I slowly began to peel off the tape to try and extend the pleasure but… "Just rip it off! It's much more fun." Shrugging I did and then tore open the box and pulled out a black miniskirt; a pair of black combat boots; a long black sleeveless trench coat; a black tank top with a white skull and crossbones on it; a pair of black cut-off gloves that went up to my elbows and had spikes on them and some accessories.

"Oh…wow," I looked up from my treasures. "Thank you so much!"

"Well, I guess you can't wear pink all the time," Shizuru chuckled as she took a drag on her cigarette.

"Once you're done getting dressed come down for breakfast!" Yukina told me as she left with Shizuru.

"Hey!" I called stopping them before they had completely left. "I just want you guys to know how much this means to me…I-I've never had anyone care about me enough to do this. Thank you so much."

"What are friends for?" Yukina walked back over to me and enveloped me in a hug; I was so startled I stiffened but then I relaxed and hugged her back reveling in the feeling of accepting. "Come down when you're ready." She then got up and left me there to don the clothes. When I was done I looked in the mirror and smiled at what I saw, a small wraithlike girl decked out in gothic clothing. Reaching out I touched the glass not looking at the scars that marred my body but into my eyes, into the windows to my soul. What I saw reassured me. What I saw was a person who had overcome many obstacles and came out on top; someone who had their whole life ahead of them; I saw me.

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	21. Kiss Me

I finally updated! Bow at me feet and stare in wonder! I am the BEST!

Gothic-ember: Glad you like black, it's one of my fav colors but...they gave me pink rubberbands!

BlackSongBird: Yeah right, that'll never happen

xXDaRkNeSs RoSeInEsSxX: glad you liked it!

Crazedcadie: So nice to have you back! I hope you like this chapter!

Standard disclaimers apply!

Chapter Twenty-One

(Hiei)

When I heard that the next day was Reiko's birthday I left as soon as possible because I knew exactly what I wanted to get her. I knew that what I wanted to get would be the hardest thing to get but it would be the most worthwhile. Since it was obvious Koenma would be preoccupied with the whole mole problem, I arranged a few things and got to work.

Walking into the house I found Reiko reclined on a sofa dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a black sports bra. Next to her sat Yukina, the two of them were talking with Yukina doing most of it. Taking the very important gift I had procured I slipped it into one of my hidden pockets until I was ready to give it to her. Not bothering to knock or give any other signal to show I was here I walked into the room.

"Oh, Hiei! Right on time!" Yukina cried jumping up and giving me a hug. Reiko on the other hand jackknifed up and snatched a nearby blanket. Quickly and effectively she draped it over her shoulders and held it closed over her front so no skin besides that on her face and feet showed. A not too subtle way to way to say: I don't want you to see me! Reaching out I lightly touched her mind to get her uppermost thoughts. _I can't let him see my scars. _

"You ready to go?" I asked knowing that she was yet giving her the out she wanted to leave us alone. She couldn't help trying to play matchmaker with Reiko and I she found it fun. Why? I don't know.

"Yup, Shizuru should be here any moment." Yukina smiled patting me on the shoulder before exiting the room. "Have fun tonight Reiko!"

"Sure…" Reiko looked as if she would have rather had Yukina stay.

"I hear that we have a movie to watch?" I sat down where Yukina had previously been and observed Reiko. Looking down at her feet I realized they weren't bandaged up and they appeared to be healed, quite nicely too.

"Yeah, uh, it's called…" Reiko trailed off as she searched for it and tried to keep the blanket on at the same time. "While you Were Sleeping and she also got….The American President." Since it was seven-o-clock I assumed that she had already eaten and decided that after the first movie I would give her, her gift.

"Which one you wanna watch?" I asked and she instantly responded to The American President. Shrugging I agreed and watched her struggle to keep covered, it was quite humorous. I tried but couldn't stop a snort of laughter.

"What?" She looked back at me and I gave her an innocent look but she didn't fall for it. "Don't laugh at me!" She flopped down on the couch next to me the remote clutched in her hands.

"Did I laugh?" I questioned and she scowled at me before hitting play. The movie was rather entertaining but it was more fun to watch Reiko watch the movie. Her face was so expressive it was a real treat. After the first ten minutes the blanket dropped and she was leaning forward completely absorbed. It was easy to see that the movie was a romantic comedy but since I wasn't really watching it, it didn't matter. At this one point in the movie Reiko was laughing to hard she almost went into hysterics. Seeing her having such a good time was liberating, plus the fact that she had to lean on me as she held her sides. I had watched a few movies with the other spirit detectives but none of them watched movies like this. Reiko would talk to the T.V., she would actually _talk_ to it. She'd yell at the actors and actresses, telling them what to do, how stupid they were or what she was feeling. I guess it ended well because she was all smiles when the credits began to roll, glancing at the clock I saw it was past nine.

"So what was your favorite part?" Reiko demanded looking at me and I knew that there really wasn't a way out of this.

"I didn't watch the movie." I stated this matter-of-factly.

"If you didn't watch the movie, what did you do?" Reiko raised her eyebrows in question.

"You." Instantly she blushed bright crimson and wracked her brain for a response. Her mouth moved but nothing came out so I decided to see what wasn't coming out. _He was _watching _me? Oh lord! How embarrassing! I must have looked like a complete fool! What is he thinking?_

_I'm thinking that you are very cute when you think no one is watching._ The response was hilarious. Reiko started and gasped loudly her eyes widening.

"You scared the crap out of me!" She shoved me hard and I swayed slightly to one side and back. "At least give me some warning next time!"

"Why? So you can throw up defenses?" I was hit again but not as hard. "Was that supposed to hurt?"

"I'm not answering that." Reiko stood up and stretched. "Want some ice cream cake?"

"Ok." I got up and followed her into the kitchen where she pulled out a cake from the freezer. While she cut the cake I got two plates and some forks and placed them on the counter next to her. Carefully she placed a slice of cake on each and we retreated to the living room to eat it.

"How was your birthday?" I actually started a conversation first and it was interesting.

"Oh, it was great! I got lots of cool presents and did lots of fun things." Reiko spoke around the fork in her mouth. I couldn't help but watching her, she was so, and I hated to use the word, cute. "Except there was this really strange pervert who's stalking me." She gave me a meaningful look.

"Did you get everything you wanted?" I knew she could answer either way so I had a response prepared for both.

"Almost, there's only one thing I wanted but didn't get," she admitted polishing off the rest of her cake.

"I bet I can guess what it is without looking in your mind." I challenged softly.

"Oh, really? Go ahead and try," she egged me on even though I didn't need it.

"Better yet I can give it to you." She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "But you have to close your eyes." Looking at me curiously for a moment she tried to figure out what I was planning but soon gave up and closed her eyes. Pulling out the box I placed it in her hands. It wasn't wrapped but knowing what it was I didn't think it needed paper.

"Can I open my eyes?" Reiko questioned and told her yes. Opening her eyes she examined the box trying to decide what it was. Slowly she pulled the top off and gasped loudly as her gaze flew to mine. "How?" She touched what was in the box tenderly shock in her voice.

"I got a few minutes with him and got him to tell me where it was." I dismissed it; it wasn't like it had been hard.

"Thank you so much," Reiko breathed lifting her doll out of the box causing the miniature manacles on it to jingle. Now she could be free. From everything. "I don't how to tell you how much this means to me." Something was wrong. Abruptly she buried her face in her hands and began to cry. Women.

"What's wrong?" I would never understand why females had to cry about everything. It was quite frightening when it happened because there was nothing you could do to stop it.

"I don't know!" Reiko exclaimed throwing her arms up. "I should be so happy but I feel awful! It doesn't make sense!" Muttering angrily under her breath she scrubbed at her cheeks and I waited knowing that she would eventually continue. "I don't know if I'm ready to handle it again! When I get everything back that means I'm on my own! I enjoyed being able to just let someone else take care of all the problems for a little bit. Now that I'm able to protect myself…I'll…lose…this…" Reiko motioned to her surroundings. "I'll lose my _home_."

"Why do you think that?" I understood what she was saying but if she just looked at it from a different angle she'd see that there was another way for it too end.

"Because no one wants me! As long as they are obligated to take care of me I'm ok, but as soon as I'm alright I'm out of luck!" Reiko turned to meet my eyes. "Don't you see?"

"No," I replied and she closed her eyes as more tears leaked out. "What I see is an insecure woman who can't see how much she means to those around her. Yukina, since the moment she first met you, loved you. She never stopped talking about Hikari. When you got back here as you are now she was so worried about you and whether you liked her or not. Genkai, once you cleaned up and started acting like yourself, came to enjoy your sense of humor. You have made me see a few things in a different light as well and I'll never forget that." Reiko was watching me as I said this and I knew that I was getting through to her. "Just because you get your abilities back doesn't mean that we won't be your friends. It just means we won't be waiting on you hand and foot."

"Wanna help me get rid of this thing?" Reiko offered this as she picked up the doll, it was her way of saying: 'I hear you.' Reaching out I brushed a stray tear off her face with a thumb and she relaxed. That was one of the things I loved about her, I didn't always have to speak, I could just touch her and she understood. Gently I drew her into my arms and cradled her against me as she slipped her arms around me and sighed softly. Just being there together, with her holding me and I her it was the most perfect moment. Absently I stroked her hair and savored the moment.

"You were wrong." Reiko stated this suddenly and out of the blue a few minutes later startling me.

"About what?" I was only slightly confused. Reiko could be so random at times.

"What I wanted that I didn't get wasn't my doll, it was something else." She murmured and I wracked my brain trying to think what she could have wanted. Nothing came to mind.

"I give up, what did you want?"

"A kiss, from you." Reiko said this so quietly I almost missed it but I didn't. She wanted a kiss from me? It was hard for me to think of anyone as wonderful as Reiko liking me even that much.

"Ask and you shall receive." I told her, the same five words that I had said that brought me into her case. Tilting her head up, Reiko gave me the perfect opportunity to capture her lips with mine.

(Genkai)

Walking through the living room I found Reiko and Hiei entangled in each other's arms fast asleep. Reiko looked so peaceful in her sleep as did Hiei. Yukina had been right, they were meant for each other. Making a soft sound Reiko burrowed closer to Hiei gripping his shirt harder. As if sensing she was in trouble, even though he was asleep, Hiei's arms tightened around her. Smiling I headed off to my room glad I had left them alone.

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	22. Picnic

Wow, ok I get it...no one likes the short brunette, I'll just shut up now! If you expect another chapter I better get at least one review! I don't do this for free you know! I like to know whether or not I'm appreciated! I know I'm annoying but this is a little too much! If I get no reviews you get no story and to think I was going to apologize for not updating as quick as usual.

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Twenty-Two

(Keiko)

We were waiting for Yukina outside of Genkai's temple to go on a picnic; Hiei was standing on the bottom step of the stairs minding his own business when Reiko suddenly popped up behind him. She placed one of her thumbs on each side of his mouth with her hands fisted a huge grin on her face which led me to assume she had frozen Hiei in place.

"This is the key," Reiko chanted before un-fisting her hands so the tips of them pointed down. "That opens the door," she flipped her hands up bringing the corners of his mouth up as well into a horrifically twisted smile. "To the wonderful, magical toy land!" Then before he could grab her she was off and running, her laughter could be heard as Hiei followed in pursuit.

It was amazing how much she had changed, though she was still quiet and withdrawn she was so much more involved and happy. Without the restraints she could use her energy and special powers to her hearts content. Yukina came down the stairs just in time for Reiko to jump behind her to gain sanctuary from Hiei. Instantly Hiei stopped his chase not wanting to accidentally hurt Yukina in the process. From behind her body shield Reiko crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Suddenly Yukina jumped to the side and the hunter caught his prey.

"I give up! Please! No!" Reiko cried as Hiei hauled her up close and gave her a wet Willy. "Ewww, Hiei germs." Reiko stuck out her bottom lip as she was 'contaminated.'

"Please," Yukina laughed. "I've seen you two kiss." Reiko flushed bright red and one of those smiles that only guys can do stretched across Hiei's features, that, I've-done-it-and-loved-it, kind of look.

"Can we please go eat? I'm starving!" Shizuru put in and we all headed off for the spot where we always had picnics. Kuwabara was carrying the food while Yusuke and Kurama carried the blankets and games. The place we were headed to was a field near a small pond with some trees to give a little bit of shade. Junko, the girl who Yukina and I had set Kuwabara up with had brought lunch. She was about medium height with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was an old friend of one of my friends, she was fun and smart and just seemed to be different than others so I thought she'd fit in nicely.

When Yukina had confided in me a while ago that she liked Kuwabara as a brother and nothing more I knew we had to get him someone. If we left him to his own devices he might never let go so I began the hunt for a new girl. Together Yukina and I gathered a list of all the girls we could try, Junko had been near the bottom. Then one night Yusuke had taken me out to a club and Junko had been there tending bar. She was so nice and warm, she just was Kuwabara, and especially the fact that she owns five cats and didn't like violence. Upon being approached to see if she'd date him she was just fine.

Kuwabara on the other hand was a royal pain in the butt. He had refused to see her and locked himself in his room writing letters professing his true love to Yukina. Even after Yukina explained to him that she didn't love him that way and didn't think she ever would because it wouldn't be right he had still held fast. Shizuru cut off his food supply and wouldn't give him magazines until he agreed to meet her. It took a few months but he finally agreed because he was sick of chips and soda. Now here we were and he was avoiding her like the plague and sticking close to Yukina.

"Junko, have you met Kuwabara?" I tried to get them to connect but Kuwabara was ignoring me and Junko was looking at me with knowing eyes.

"No, I don't think he wants to meet me though." She smiled and began unpacking the food onto the blanket keeping an eye on a smaller basket she had brought with her.

"Kuwabara!" Shizuru hissed elbowing him in the side hard. "Stop being a jackass!" Junko bowed her head but not fast enough for me to not see the smile gracing her lips and sparkle in her eyes. She thought it was funny! She thought it was funny that she was being totally ignored!

"How are you doing today Junko?" Yukina asked politely trying to show the carrot-top that she liked Junko.

"Oh, j-just f-fine." She was choking on laughter as she spoke and her shoulders were shaking as she tried to control herself. "How are you?"

"Good, I'd like you to meet my good friend Kuwabara," Yukina introduced the two and since it was Yukina doing it, Kuwabara had to acknowledge her which he did with a curt nod. Abruptly Junko fell backwards clutching her side laughing hysterically and tears began to roll down her face. Her whole body shook as she rolled around not even trying to contain it. After a few minutes she began to calm down and lay there breathing hard her face bright red as she giggled every now and then.

"What was that about?" Kurama questioned, he had just come back from putting the games somewhere. A huge grin broke out across Junko's face and she groaned lightly as she sat up.

"I'm sorry, it's just…I know you won't believe me but…" she laughed quietly for a moment. "I was just listening to a ghost's perception on what was going on." She rubbed the back of her head as we all gaped at her. "He had an awesome sense of humor, it was like he knew what to say to crack me up when I was trying to make a good impression."

"You can hear ghosts?" Shizuru demanded for, as we know she can see them but can't communicate with them.

"I hear them, see them, and can be possessed by them, talk to them and if they have enough energy they can touch me." Junko sighed giving us a wry smile. "You must all think I'm nuts."

"No, I can see them too." Shizuru pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"I've died before," Yusuke put in. "And Kuwabara can sense them."

"Really? That's wonderful! I'm not as much a freak as I thought!" Junko dug around in one of the baskets and pulled out some more food. "I always thought I was alone, that I would never find anyone like me." Shaking her head slightly she snickered and rolled her eyes.

"What did he say?" Reiko asked knowing that that had to be the reason.

"Oh no, I can't say, it's too mean and vulgar." Junko rejected the idea immediately, but suddenly her whole body jerked before she winked at Shizuru and turned to Kuwabara. "What I said to the little lady was that why was she hanging out with a yellow-bellied pansy like you who can't let go of his mama's apron stings." Her voice had a definite masculine edge proving my hunch that she had been possessed correct.

"What did you say?" Kuwabara leapt to his feet and towered over Junko's body that lazily looked up at him a smirk crossing her features.

"Am I going to have to add deaf to your very long list of faults? Wow, I thought you couldn't get any worse. I feel real bad for Junko, she was really looking forward to meeting some new people but your sister's right, you're a jackass." She stretched and raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you trying to intimidate me?" Kazuma was shaking with ill suppressed rage and I began to worry about him smacking around Junko. I knew he wouldn't do it normally but he was a little bit on edge at the moment.

"Look punk, I don't know who you are or who you think you are, but don't push me, I don't want to have to beat you up." Kuwabara ground out and Junko threw her head back and laughed.

"Right, you'd beat up a girl? I highly doubt it, but if you wanna try I can still hand you your ass any day of the week and twice on Sunday." Junko stood up motioning him closer with her hands.

"Hey, hey! Kuwabara, that may be a guy talking, but it's a girl's body! Your code says you can't beat on girls!" Yusuke jumped in not wanting him to do something he would regret later.

"I know," Kuwabara growled glowering at Junko and sitting down next to Yukina.

"Get out of me!" Junko's brown eyes flared with an inner light as she expelled the ghost out of her. "Sorry Kuwabara, that doesn't usually happen."

"Who wants to play twister?" I asked standing up.

"I will," Junko stood up brushing off her loose khakis and heading to where the game was set up. Hiei was given the spinner and we all set ourselves to bending our bodies in seemingly impossible ways. The first one to drop was Reiko who was muttering about stupid matchmaking morons when she went down. I dropped out next and then Yusuke. Sitting on the sidelines I watched the remaining four continue to twist and contort their bodies. Glancing over at Hiei I say him spin the dial and then read off the complete opposite of what it said, he was trying to get Kuwabara in the most uncomfortable positions possible. Kurama dropped like a rock when Hiei forced him to have to slip under Kuwabara to reach a dot on the opposite side of the mat and while keeping his other hand on a dot near his feet on the other side. Yukina slipped and was out leaving only Junko and Kuwabara left and I knew who Hiei would be rooting for.

The game continued on with Hiei guiding the two into a confused jumble of legs and arms where it was hard to tell whose was which. He had no shame and had long ago forgone even holding the spinner which he had handed to Reiko who every now and then gave him suggestions. Finally after many bouts of cursing and distorting of their bodies the final blow was given, which led to Kuwabara falling and taking Junko with him. The position in the end was nothing less than perfect with the two of them eye to eye with their lips scant centimeters apart. Abruptly the silence was broken by the cry of what sounded like a kitten. Gasping Junko scrambled off Kuwabara and hurried over the little basket. From its depths she brought out a tiny, little kitten whose eyes were barely open.

"Shhh, it's ok Athena, Mommy's here," she cooed pulling out an eyedropper small container of milk. Carefully and deftly she fed the baby and when she was done sat there and pet it for a little bit.

"Where do you get such an adorable kitty?" Yukina asked sitting down next to her.

"I found her yesterday, the owners must not have wanted the batch of kittens so they tossed them in a dumpster, she was the only survivor." Junko placed her back in the basket. "I guess it's time to eat, at least that's what Athena thinks." Laughing she put some food on a plate and sat back to eat it.

(time elapse)

The afternoon had been a disaster but at least I had a new friend, Junko was awesome. Flipping through one of my favorite books I searched for the part I was looking for but was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" I picked it up and waited.

"Keiko, have you seen Yukina?" Reiko asked on the other end of the line and I detected worry in her voice.

"No, not since this afternoon, why?" I closed my book and sat forward giving her all my attention.

"Because she's missing."

* * *

NOW REVIEW OR I WON'T UPDATE! 


	23. Kitty Cats

Well I have to say that this is extremely embarassing, only one reviewer? I feel unloved!

So I dedicate this chapter to BlackSongBird...when you said they were perfect were you talking about Kuwabara and Junko or Hiei and Reiko?

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Twenty-Three

(Junko)

Stirring from the darkness that had claimed my mind I dragged myself a few inches up off the cold, wet ground I had been lying on. I was in a gutter and I vaguely remembered how I had gotten here. Yukina had been walking me home and someone had attacked us. They had been strong, in body and spirit. Standing had no appeal for me for it would take too much energy and I had none. Turning my leaden body onto its back I stared up at the dark sky as rain fell on me. It was just my luck, the one night I get attacked it rains.

"Yukina," I whispered hoarsely reaching out unconsciously with my sixth sense to see where her energy signal was. I couldn't find it. "Yukina!" I hauled myself up into a sitting position. I nearly collapsed as blood drained from my head and the world spun. Shivering I looked around trying to find my new friend, there was nothing except this small little grey lump on the ground near me. Swallowing hard I reached out and picked it up. It was Athena. Shock raced through me, her neck was broken. Someone had deliberately killed her, an innocent kitten who could do nothing.

Dragging myself to my feet I cradled my baby's body against me as I stumbled off. I had to find Yukina. They had been looking for her; they hadn't wanted anything else. The park I found myself in was empty. No one was nearby. Rain fell steadily and I grew more and more chilled. My voice gave out due to how many times I screamed for Yukina. I had to get to her friends. They would know what to do. Navigating the empty streets I ignored the stares I received from the few who were out. Yukina had said that guy Kuwabara lived nearby with his sister. Reaching the place that I assumed was his I knocked on the door and waited. No one answered. No one was there; there were no lights on. Sobbing dryly I slid down and allowed myself to be swept away by the encroaching blackness.

(Kuwabara)

"There's no way we're going to be able to find her tonight," Yusuke announced after hours of searching for my flower. "I'm going to contact Koenma and see what he can do, you guys should try and get some rest."

"How can we rest at a time like this?" Reiko demanded. "All I can think about is Yukina out there in the dark scared, alone and soaked!"

"I know, but if Hiei can't find her with his Jagan than that means that someone doesn't want her to be found." Yusuke was pushing his intellect to the limit trying to explain what was going on.

"So you think that someone kidnapped her?" Reiko closed her eyes and shook her head. "I hope to God it's not true, she shouldn't have to suffer through something like that." Hiei laid a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him her eyes searching his before softening. "I'm sure she'll be fine, she's strong, far stronger than we probably know."

"If anyone finds anything call here at Genkai's and she'll call everyone else and give them the information. Does that sound good to everyone else?" Kurama set up the plan and we all nodded. "Now lets try and get some rest, Yusuke's right, it we're tired we'll be of no use to her." Walking into the other room I gently woke up Shizuru who had fallen asleep after changing into a spare set of clothes.

"What's the plan bro?" She asked standing up and watching me.

"Go home and rest." It felt so wrong. I should be able to do something! Nodding slowly Shizuru led me out to the car and we drove home in silence. Where could Yukina be? What could have happened? The rain that beat on the car seemed to lull me into a sort of half awake, half asleep state. When we reached the house I noticed there was something huddled on our stoop. Walking up to them I bent down hoping against hope it was Yukina, I knew it couldn't be but I still wished. As soon as I touched the person I realized they were burning up with fever, they must have been out in the rain for a while.

"Who is it?" Shizuru asked coming up behind me.

"I don't know," I replied shaking them gently to try and wake them. "Hello? Who are you?" Their head lifted and I found myself staring into deep pools of liquid brown that were swimming with tears. They were familiar, I knew I had seen them somewhere before. Then it hit me: it was Junko.

"Mmm," she moaned softly. Quickly I scooped her up and stepped back so Shizuru could get the door for us. I might not like Junko that much but it didn't mean I wanted her to die.

"We better run a bath for her, follow me and get her out of those clothes," Shizuru instructed and I followed her to the small bathroom that contained a rather big tub. Shizuru turned on the water and began to race around getting towels, clothes and other things while I set Junko down. I went to draw her arms away from her body so I could remove her first wet layer, but I was hindered by the fact that she refused to move.

"Junko you need to let me help you." I tried to pull her hands out but she flinched away and hugged something closer to her chest.

"They killed her, she's dead. Never to live again," she whispered this so softly I barely caught it. "My poor baby."

"Who's dead?" I questioned trying to figure out what she was talking about. Had someone been murdered? What did she mean her baby?

"Athena." Junko held out the broken body of her kitten and I cried out at the sight of it. Her fur was matted with blood and mud; I had never seen anything sadder I don't think. "My baby, what did she ever do to them?" Gently I took her from Junko and placed her on the counter, there would be time for a proper burial another day, but right now we needed to focus on getting her better.

"Can you get out of your clothes? You need to get into the bath." I turned around and turned off the water. "Junko, do need any help?"

"I can't feel anything," she murmured and I began to panic. Without thinking I shucked her clothes off of her and helped her slip into the tub just as Shizuru walked back in.

"What's with the drowned rat on the counter?" She asked quietly as she supported Junko for if she didn't the heart broken girl would slip under the water without noticing.

"It's her kitten, Athena." I gave her a pointed look and understanding hit, silently she mouthed, 'Junko?' Nodding I slipped out of the bathroom and headed to the kitchen to make some tea. Reiko had said that Yukina had taken the bus back into town with Junko so she could walk her home. She had never come back. That meant that Junko had to know something about what had happened to Yukina she just had to. A few minutes later Shizuru came in to see if the tea was done, she told that she had put Junko in my bed. It was only logical, my bed was on the first floor and it would be easiest to access and plus I had a couch so someone could keep an eye on her.

"There were a few minor scratches on Junko, nothing major, but her clothes were soaked with blood." Shizuru told me as I finished making the tea. "It must mean she gave her attacker one hell of a fight before she dropped."

"Or it means her companion was hurt badly, Yukina was walking her home." I put the stuff on a tray and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Yukina's fine, we would have known if she was dead, you know that." Shizuru squeezed before she let go. "I need some more sleep, be nice to your girlfriend."

"She's not my-" I started to yell but she was gone before I could finish. Muttering under my breath I went into my bedroom to find Junko lying in my bed on her back talking to no one.

"Thanks, you saved my life." At first I thought she might be talking to me but before I could answer she began to talk again. "You know that technically I was out during the fight so the fact that you used me to get rid of them doesn't mean anything." Another pause. "You did? You know where she is?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to sob curling up into a ball.

"Junko, is something wrong?" I had already set down the tray so I hurried over and sat down on the bed next to her.

"She's alive, thank God she's alive." She turned her face toward mine. "I thought they might have killed her, but Hiro says she's alive."

"Are you talking about Yukina?" I demanded and she nodded ignoring the tears streaming down her face.

"We were attacked and before I could get my mace they had knocked me out. Hiro took over and fought, but he, in my body was no match. They got away, but he was able to follow them." Sighing she relaxed a little and I refrained from asking any more questions. Suddenly she started and fought her way into a sitting position, the covers fell down and revealed she was wearing about three layers of clothing with the top layer being mine. "I need to feed my kitties!"

"You're in no condition to be going anywhere." I gently pushed her back down with her resisting the whole way.

"I can't let them starve! I'm their mom! Please, Giselle will be missing Athena; I have to tell her that she won't be coming back! Isis and Agamemnon will need to be brushed and Hesperos needs his medicine!" Junko was crying even harder as she clutched at me.

"How about this, you stay here and sleep and I'll go take care of your cats?" I offered and she looked at me blindly in confusion for a moment.

"You'd do that? But you hate me." She wiped tears off her face.

"I don't hate you I just like Yukina better." I tried to be kind and firm at the same time.

"Ok, here's what you have to do…"

X-X-X-X-X

Standing outside Junko's apartment I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding her personal space even though I had yet to even go inside. Pulling out the key she had given me I unlocked the door and walked in. Instantly four cats appeared out of nowhere and began to rub up against me purring loudly. Making my way through the sea of fur I went into the kitchenette where when I opened the cupboard I found probably more cat food than human food. They were all labeled; each one of them ate different brands of cat food and different types. Once I was done pulling out what was needed I searched until I found the five little water bowls and four food bowls like the food they were labeled. Fighting off cats left and right I managed to get them fed without loosing a finger in the process.

Sitting there watching them eat because I had a few more tasks to do when they were done I took in what they looked like. The one who was eating out of Giselle's bowl was a big fat tabby that had grey coloring. The next one was Isis, she was a longhaired cat with pure white fur and she was very thin after her was Agamemnon, he was another fat cat, but he was longhaired and had orange fur. The last one was a black cat with only three legs, Hesperos. When they were done they came over to where I was sitting on the floor with the hairbrushes I had collected. Calmly I informed them that Athena had, "passed on to the land of long scratches and catnip," as Junko had told me to say. For five minutes each I brushed Agamemnon and Isis then I petted each of them for an additional five minutes. Once that ritual was done I gave Hesperos his pill, which took about ten minutes because he kept spitting it back up.

Wandering around her apartment I took in how it looked, it was small and homey. She had a small T.V. and a huge sound system hooked up to her CD/tape/radio and there were lots of handmade stuff hanging around. Finding my way into her room I poked around in her closet looking for something for her to wear because I didn't think she'd want to stay in borrowed clothes. Pulling out a really pretty top that had bell sleeves and intricate embroidery, the bottom of the sleeves were see through and it had a v-neck. Looking inside for a label or tag to show where it was from I found none. Placing it back I picked out a well-worn long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt and pair of comfy looking jeans.

Turning to leave I spotted a full-length mirror that had little pieces of paper sticking in it crowding in on the view. Approaching it I read the scrawl on the first card it said: _laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you ruin your mascara._ There were tons of them, some were sayings, others were reminders and some were dreams. _Keep your chin up. You'll find love someday. Take your time. Someday your prince will find you, mine just took a wrong turn, got lost and is too stubborn to ask for directions. Live life one day at a time. You are beautiful just being you. Pay it forward. Why be normal when you can be yourself? Don't take crap from anyone. _

She was a lot different than I thought she would be, shaking my head I left and headed back home.

* * *

REIVIEW OR NO UPDATE! 


	24. Curses and death

I hope you all got my e-mail cause if you didn't you're all in for a shock...hmmm...well here are my thank yous...

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter Twenty-Four

(Reiko)

Sitting on the couch I watched Hiei pace around the room full of nervous energy as he thought of every bad thing that could have happened to Yukina. I was unsure of how he thought of her, but it was obvious that he had deep feelings no matter in what way. Reaching out I picked my mug of hot chocolate off the table in front of me as I tucked my feet up underneath me. If Hiei wanted to say something to me he would, I wasn't going to push him or invade his mind for answers. Sighing softly as he whipped around for another pass across the room I tried to think of something to say to take his mind off of it.

"How did you meet Yukina?" I asked the first thing that came to mind, if she was my competition then I wanted to know what I was up against. Hiei looked at me sharply and I raised an eyebrow. "You're wearing a hole in the floor so why not talk about something until we hear from someone." Nodding Hiei came and sat next to me, but his mind was thousands of miles away. Digging deep into my own memory I tried to pull something out that would take his mind off worrying. Reaching out I grabbed his hand and connected our minds.

_What are you thinking about? _Closing my eyes I let myself absorb in all the other things in life. The sound of Hiei breathing, his scent, texture of his skin.

_Yukina._ That was the bad thing about communicating mentally; it is damn near impossible to lie. Stomping down on any feelings before they could become strong enough for Hiei to sense.

_What about her?_ Images flashed through his mind and mine. _Yukina standing in a snow covered forest talking to birds. Her cheering them on at the Dark Tournament. Giving him her tear gem to go look for her brother. Her begging him not to kill the man who had hurt her. Her crying for Kuwabara._ It was almost overwhelming, but I held up and contributed my own images. _Yukina playing with the children at the orphanage. Paddling a canoe for the first time. Laughing with me over some dumb joke. Playing games. _

_She's so innocent._ I had to agree with that; she had this air of perfection and beauty. Nothing could smother her goodness.

_Like the first snow of winter, pure and untainted. _In the back of my mind a treacherous voice whispered that she was the exact opposite of me. Quickly I shut it out and concentrated on Hiei, this wasn't about me. _How did you meet her?_

_I met her when I saved her with Yusuke and the rest, but I had been watching over her for much longer. _He paused as he collected his thoughts and I beat any wayward ones down, but we were cut short as the phone rang. Springing up Hiei raced over to it and snatched it up. Drawing deep breaths I pushed aside my own selfish desires, Hiei deserved better, if he loved Yukina that would explain why he hated Kuwabara so much. Biting down on my lip I listened as he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone, I would help him find her and then leave. I wouldn't get in their way.

X-X-X-X-X

Waiting outside of Kuwabara's house I waited for the rest of them to come out. Hiro, Junko's ghost buddy had refused to take us anywhere unless Junko was with us so it was taking a little bit to get going. Once word had gotten out about what the guy who had kidnapped Yukina looked like it turned out that he was the mole from inside Spirit World. I felt like crap, I had barely slept at all last night due to the nightmares that had plagued me. Every moment had been sheer torture, scene after scene of Hiei leaving me and other things. I don't think anyone else slept well either due to my wonderful knack of passing on the same vibe of my dreams.

They all came out and we were on our way to the guy's hideout. It was surprisingly easy to find, I would have thought he'd of gone all out on protection, but no, there was nothing. Cautiously approaching the old house where the ghost said that Yukina was being holed up with the psycho mole. Glancing at Hiei I observed the signs of stress on his face and in his posture. Last night must have been the worst night of his life and having to have his dreams directed by my mood must not have been fun. Drinking in his profile I waited for the signal to head into the house with the others.

Quickly we entered the house and headed back to the room where Junko said the man would be. Outside the door we listened for any hint that someone might be in there but nothing gave anyone away. Yusuke grabbed the doorknob and flung open the door. Lying propped up against the wall was the kidnapper.

He was almost dead.

A huge gaping wound was in his chest and he grinned up at us as we rushed into the room. Yukina was in the corner unconscious, but besides that nothing was wrong. Crooking a finger at Hiei he called him forward and whispered something into his ear then gurgled and died. Blood drained from Hiei's face and he rushed over to Yukina and pulled her into his arms. Gently he stood and without another word left.

Back at Genkai's house we all sat around Yukina's bed waiting for her to wake up. Hiei had told us what the man had said; he had killed himself in order to curse Yukina with a death bond. The only way to break a death bond was to fulfill the requirement that was put on with it and it seemed that he hadn't had time to tell Hiei, or he didn't want to. According to the information given, Yukina only had forty-eight hours to live. Sitting there it seemed as if fate had heard me and decided to punish me for my selfish wants. Hiei sat there holding her hand his eyes never leaving her face and my heart hurt all the more even though I knew he would be mine. Time passed slowly, but eventually Yukina stirred and everyone was scrambling to do anything for her. She knew she was dying, but still she tried to comfort everyone else.

"Hiei," she sounded almost normal. "Why didn't you tell me?" Reaching up she touched his cheek and my heart shattered. Not waiting for what she was going to say next I slipped out of the room and hurried off to where I could be alone. There was nowhere to go. Whenever there was no one in the room I was haunted by memories, finally I found an old unused room where no one was and collapsed to the floor. Tears spilled over and clattered on the floor. Stupid dreams. Stupid me.

'_Mommy, I had a wonderful dream last night!' I ran into the kitchen where my mother was making breakfast._

'_Oh really honey, what was it about?' She smiled down at me as I sat down at her feet and began to describe it._

'_I was in a whole other world, there were lots of pretty women, but one of them was crying,' I explained softly so as to not wake up my father in the next room. 'And her tears Momma, they turned into pretty gems!' Tugging on her clothes to make her look at me I showed her how big they would have been. 'I want to cry gems too Mamma, then we won't have to worry about money!'_

It wasn't until later that I learned that there were really apparitions that cried gems and I had seen one of their rituals in my dream. What a brilliant idea, cry tears, but I wanted to keep a part of my childhood so the tear gems had stayed. Scrubbing the rest of my tears off my face I sighed and tried to figure out what to do. How was I to salvage the hell that had become my life? How was I to save the one I loved pain?

"Reiko?" Scrambling to my feet I opened the door to find Hiei standing there looking drained. "You want to go for a walk?"

"Sure." Stepping out I shut the door behind me, leaving the evidence of my pain in the dark.

After two hours of walking in silence I gathered up my courage and decided to ask a few questions before I exiled myself to a life of loneliness.

"Do you love Yukina?" I chose the most painful one first, if I could survive this answer than I could handle the others. He stayed quiet and I guessed he didn't want to talk about her, but he spoke after a few paces.

"Yes." If I thought what I had felt before was pain, I had been truly wrong, there was nothing worse than this agony. Tears built up in my throat and I stomped them down, I would not ruin this with my emotions, it was his time for mourning. I needed to concentrate on Yukina and our friendship, she knew him first and he loved her first and she was dying.

"Does she have any family? She mentioned a brother, I wonder how he'll take it." I don't know why I kept talking; I just couldn't stand the thought of silence. It would give me too much time to think. Again there was this long pause before he spoke and it ripped me apart knowing he was probably dying inside, like me.

"I'm her brother." Shock raced through me, but Yukina said she hadn't known her brother. She had said he lived very far away, practically in another world. Stopping suddenly it all sank in and I nearly sobbed with relief. He loved her as a brother loves a sister, not as a man loves a woman.

"What did he tell you?" I refrained from touching him, he wouldn't appreciate it, and he most likely wanted to be strong. Abruptly he whipped around drawing his katana, while kicking my legs out from underneath me and I ended up with the tip of the blade pressing against my throat. I stared up into his ruby red eyes, they were as cold as his blade and a finger of fear traced its way down my back.

"He said either you die by my blade or Yukina dies a slow, and painful death by a curse that only your spirit departing can fix," he said emotionlessly but something flickered in his eyes, I felt the fear slowly ebb away. If he killed me it would be for a just cause. "I could easily kill you right now." His threat didn't scare me, I could handle dying, I had died once already. "But I can't." Hiei threw his katana onto the ground next to me bowing his head trying to deal with this awful inner pain.

I watched him from my position on the ground; this was the person who had held me back from the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm me. He was the one who eased the pain caused so long ago, the person that had helped me heal. His face was the one I wanted to see each morning, the man I had shared my deepest secrets with. He deserved so much better than me, the only thing I could do to help him was the one thing he couldn't do. Slowly getting to my feet I picked up the sword on the way up holding it tightly in my left hand. I knew what I had to do.

"Hiei, his exact words were that I had to die by your blade, correct?" I questioned. He gave a slight nod and I shifted my grip on the hilt before reaching up with my right hand to lightly caress his cheek, "I just want you to know and remember something, I love you more than life itself and nothing can change that. Don't forget that and please don't blame yourself."

His eyes narrowed as I silently and incrementally lifted the blade mentally whispering a prayer for us. I searched his face drinking in every detail of it as I brought the blade to a halt so it hovered between us and removed my hand from his cheek. Drawing in a deep breath I gathered my courage as my heart began pound and without any shadow of doubt ripped the deadly blade across my abdomen and up. It sliced through the pale skin of my belly into my organs. As the pain crashed though me like a tsunami causing my knees to give I landed on the ground wrapping my right arm around my wound. I didn't want my intestines to spill like my rich deep scarlet blood.

"Reiko!" Hiei dropped next to me drawing me into the shelter of his arms, "Oh God." Breathing shallowly I fought to keep from passing out from the pain, it hurt so much.

"Hush," I whispered for if I spoke I would scream. "T-take c-care of Yukina." I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes squeezing the hilt of the sword and burying my face into his shoulder. "P-please t-tell T-taro and Mi-midori. Let th-them c-come to m-my f-funeral." Tears that had been building up spilled over and gems went everywhere.

"Reiko…no…you can't," Hiei's voice broke and he held me tighter.

"W-wait f-for me." I ensnared his eyes with mine. "D-don't aban-don hope." I drew a sharp breath. "I sh-shall c-come back." I could feel my lifeblood gushing out of my body and over my arm; I clutched him close to keep from crying out.

"I can't…no…Reiko…" he couldn't speak for the fear and panic in him.

"Love you," I breathed reaching up to touch his face, it was becoming hard to focus. "T-take c-care…of yourself…" Tears clouded my vision as my hand slid off Hiei's cheek and he caught it with his own holding it in a death grip.

"Don't go!" I let out my last breath as I felt my spirit slip out of my body.

(Hiei)

I knew the exact instant she died, the moment her spirit separated form her tiny form.

Slowly I lowered our joined hands and cradled her close hiding my face in her silky hair. She was so delicate, so beautiful she shouldn't have died, but she had. There was a foreign burning sensation in my eyes before scalding hot tears cascaded down my cheeks turning into black gems as soon as they lost contact with my skin. I was crying for the first time in what seemed like forever as an unbearable agony wrapped around my heart. I sat there like that for a time that could not be accounted for in minutes or hours but in pain and despair all the while thinking of her.

The way she had looked the first time I saw her at the Palace of the Doomed. How her eyes had been wide with fear and pain shaking like a leaf. She had been so afraid yet she had trusted me to help her and not take advantage of the situation. Her face and how peaceful it looked when she was sleeping, Reiko waking up in tears franticly trying to scrape bugs off herself crying out for me. Beautiful multicolored eyes taking in everything and avoiding me as she trusted me with the knowledge of everything that had happened at that awful place. The song she had sung one day when I had taken her out to the garden floated into my mind.

As the third sun sets and the first moon rises,

Understanding comes with it.

The trees and wind whisper:

To know our secrets is to know you,

Until you accept every part of your being,

You cannot truly comprehend.

Open your heart and soul,

Believe in love and have hope.

Once you can do this,

You hold the key of happiness.

At that point she began humming and shrugged lightly a small smile gracing her lips as thanks for everything. There was the night when everyone had gone out and I had had to stay with her and I watched her watch a stupid human movie. We had drifted off to sleep in each other's arms her short white hair in her face. I had been the only one she had told everything to when she could not bear to tell the others. She had trusted me, true unwavering trust, not caring, what my past was only concerned with what I wanted my future to become.

Long after the blood had stopped flowing I got to my feet my precious bundle in my arms, I felt as if I was carrying the world, for I was, my world, my life. As I made my way through the forest I listened to the wind whispering through the trees and recited in my mind a Makai burial chant. Some time later I walked into Genkai's house my mind a frozen wasteland my heart weeping as silent as the grave.

(Yusuke)

At about two a.m. Hiei arrived soaked with blood Reiko dead in his arms a vacant lost sort of look in his eyes. Botan had left about eleven p.m. so I had assumed the worst, but it was still a major shock.

"Oh dear," Kurama stepped toward him but was stopped as Hiei instantly withdrew a few paces his grip on Reiko increasing.

"Back up," I ordered and Kurama nodded and complied as Hiei started forward again, heading for the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms were.

I had been listening to Kuwabara lament when Hiei had appeared at maybe nine-o-clock motioning to me that he needed to talk. He told me what had happened and how he was supposed to kill Reiko. He at the time seemed hesitant to do it and I never thought he actually would but here he was with a deceased Reiko. I had let Kurama in on my knowledge after Botan left and the possibility of her being dead increased. I hadn't wanted to believe he had done it, but now the evidence was indisputable. Kuwabara I told to stay with Junko and Yukina, both who were sound asleep in case something happened

Hiei reached Reiko's room; Kurama and I not far behind watching as he carefully laid her down on the bed. A light scrapping sound was heard as he pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down in it picking up her left hand in both of his. If you only looked at her face you couldn't tell there was anything wrong with her, the expression on it was serene and peaceful without a hint of the pain she must have gone through. I could not bring myself to examine the gaping wound that I knew was there, exposing her entrails.

"What happened?" Genkai demanded entering the room.

"I don't know," Kurama, answered her as Hiei bent down and laid his head on Reiko's hand.

"Can you do anything?" I queried, even though I knew there was nothing she could do, Reiko was dead.

"No, she's dead, I can't bring dead people to life," Genkai snapped remorse in her voice. Pressing his lips to the back of her hand he didn't cry, but it was easy to see that he would never be the same.

* * *

If I get at least five reviews...you get the epilogue 


	25. Epilogue

Thanks...here are my final good-byes

THANK YOU!

BlackSongBird- you have been with me from the very beginning! You are my support system! I love you! THANKS!

Fallen Wolf- I'm glad you liked it and here is the epilogue!

Trickstertheifgirl- no that's not how it ended, I just needed some more reviews!

OneNightOneDream- I'm sorry I made you cry, here is the last part!

Lostsoul- THANK YOU! YOU WERE MY LAST REVIEWER! And I hope you like how I tied this all up! I can't wait for you to get an account and I promise Hiei isn't completely traumatized, but what the hell you'll see yourself!

Standard disclaimers apply

Epilogue

225 years later

(Hiei)

Looking down at little Kyoko I watched her consume her chocolate ice cream cone quickly. She was the spitting image of her mother with bright red eyes and sea green hair. Yukina had had her about fifteen years ago but Koorime age so slowly she still looked like she was still only five years old. She was wearing a pretty kimono that I had got for her a while ago from the Makai, it was pink, her favorite color. After a day at the circus she was still full of energy and rip roaring to go. She had multiple designs painted on her face and pink balloon was tied to her wrist so it wouldn't fly away. Glancing around the park we were sitting in I spotted two women who looked to be about in their mid-twenties sitting on a nearby wall talking quietly. One had long black hair pulled back in a braid and her eyes were blue-flecked grey, her companion was decidedly smaller and had shoulder length brown hair pulled back in a ponytail a hat covering the top of her head and her eyes were concealed behind a pair of glasses. I knew I could easily eavesdrop on their conversation but I didn't feel like it so I turned my attention to my niece you was tugging on my shirt.

"Uncle Hiei, I'm done." She held the cone out to me; she never liked the cone so she gave it to me.

"Ok." I took the cone and quickly ate it and was about to stand up and leave with Kyoko when the brown haired woman came over. She looked nervous and my heart sank when I realized she was going to try and ask me out on a date.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could tell me your name, you look familiar." She smiled at me and all I wanted to do was throttle her. I was sick to death of people trying doing this. Kyoko looked up at this new person with interest while I tried to figure out a nice way to get her to leave me alone, she was an invader of privacy.

"My name is Kyoko," Kyoko informed her nodding vigorously and my heart sank, I couldn't use the: I'm married and this is my kid thing cause I knew what she was going to say next. "This is my Uncle Hiei."

"Oh, really?" The invader pressed her fingertips to her forehead as if she was getting a headache, her voice sounded familiar, "I knew that, how did I know that? I've never met you before." She gripped her head as her face contorted with pain and she bent over double. The motion struck a chord in me, where had I seen that before? Where I had I seen someone do that?

"Sumiko!" Her friend ran over and my heart stopped, "Oh my God, are you ok? Sumi?" Her name was Sumiko? Reiko's real name had been Sumiko!

"It hurts," Sumiko gasped out. It was like déjà vu, Reiko when she had had flashbacks would moan the same thing. "It feels like my head's going to explode!" C.J. yanked off her friend's hat and pulled out her ponytail to relieve any pressure on her head. Her hair. It was brown but it was dyed, I knew it because an inch of _white_ roots could be seen. Reiko's hair had been white. "I'm sorry, sometimes this happens, we don't know what causes it," I wasn't listening it was all starting to come together, all the pieces and parts.

"What's her name?" I demanded grabbing C.J.'s arm.

"Sumiko, why?" C.J. replied looking at me strangely as I started and yanked off the girl's glasses. Her eyes were screwed shut in pain and sweat was beginning to bead on her skin. She looked like Reiko when she had had her panic attacks. Their facial structure was so similar. Please if there was a God don't let me be wrong about this. If I am I don't think I'll survive.

"Sumiko, open your eyes," I commanded her and held my breath as she slowly obeyed me and opened them to reveal pain clouded tri-colored orbs. "Oh my God, Reiko!" I gathered her close to me and smoothed her hair back as I rocked the two of us back and forth. It was her, it really was.

"It hurts Hiei," Sumiko sobbed clinging to me. "What's going on? I keep seeing so many things, so many things I don't understand!"

"You're remembering darling, you're remembering, relax." I hugged her close and wished that I could take it all away.

"Make it stop!" Sumiko cried as she turned her tear-streaked face up to look pleadingly into my eyes. Without taking time to think about it I lowered my head and kissed her, our lips met and a wave of rightness flooded me as Reiko's body flexed in pain before going lax.

"Reiko, are you alright?" I asked running my fingers through her hair.

"Yes Hiei, I'm fine now." She smiled at me her eyes weary but filled with infinite happiness, "You waited."

"Of course, I'd wait a million lifetimes if only to spend a moment with you," I told her as tears of joy filled my eyes.

"I missed you so much, you better not ever let me go again," Reiko informed me as she reached up to gently touch my face.

"Does this mean I have an aunt?" Kyoko questioned and the two of us laughed as C.J. stood there looking terribly confused. Some day we'd explain what had happened but right now it was just about us, just about me and Reiko.

C'est fini

* * *

I'm so proud...yet so sad 


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